by Elizabeth Pantley author of The No-Cry Discipline Solution (McGraw-Hill 2007)

As if it isn’t challenging enough to raise children, most parents believe myths that make them feel confused and inadequate. These horrible myths can spoil the joy of raising your children. You may have never realized how intensely these beliefs affect you, but they do. After you identify the myths that color your daily life, learn the truth about each one. By acknowledging that these myths exist in your life, you take the first step towards eliminating them. Learning the truth will erase your doubts and leave you open to learning effective new ways of raising your children. Here are a few of the most common parenting myths:

MYTH: If a parent is truly attached and committed to a child, then that child will behave properly.

TRUTH: You could be totally committed to your child from the moment of birth. You could do absolutely everything right. In fact, you could be a magnificent, spectacular, utterly faultless saint, and your child would still misbehave. The truth is: ALL children misbehave. ALL children make mistakes. ALL children will have temper tantrums, whine and fuss. It’s part of the process of growing up.

REALITY CHECK: Love your child, and do the best you can. And don’t let normal misbehavior wear down your confidence. Give yourself and your child enough room to be human.

MYTH: If you love your child, and if your intentions are good, parenting will come naturally to you.

TRUTH: Loving your child is easy. Raising your child is hard. Effective parenting skills are learned. Parenting is complicated, intense, and ever-changing. In order to be a calm, effective, parent you need knowledge and skills, but almost no one is born with these skills.

REALITY CHECK: Just like driving a car, mastering a computer program, or becoming skilled at any sport or hobby – good parenting is something we need to learn. You can learn by trial-and-error – but that can be wildly frustrating. Instead, take a class, read a book, join a support group – you’ll be amazed to find that a few good tips can make your life much easier.

MYTH: You should read baby books and take a baby care class when you are a new parent, after that you’ll figure out how to raise your child on your own – through experience.

TRUTH: Taking care of a baby is our first step in the journey of parenthood. Just when we feel confident with our skills for raising babies, we turn around to find many of the things that we’ve learned do not apply to a walking, talking toddler. We adjust our approach, only to find that disrupted when our toddler turns into a preschooler, and again when he becomes a grade-schooler, and again when he enters the teen years . . . and yet again when our child graduates and moves on to college or adult life.

REALITY CHECK: We actually have a brand new parenting job each time our child passes from one milestone to another in his life. Just like any other undertaking, the more knowledge you have at each step of the way, the more confident you will feel and the easier your job will be, and the better your life-long relationship with your child.

MYTH: If parents are a perfectly matched couple, and they have a strong relationship, then they will agree about how to raise their children.

TRUTH: It’s very common for two parents, even those who are perfectly matched and in a happy relationship, to disagree about child-rearing approaches. Some may disagree about baby care issues, yet others will be perfectly in sync during the baby years and then find they are at odds when their child becomes school age or enters the teen years.

The way that we approach child-rearing is influenced by our own past experiences – both the things we choose to do, and the things we try to avoid. It is nearly impossible for two people to be in perfect agreement on every parenting decision.

REALITY CHECK: Even when we agree on basic fundamental parenting theory, we might slightly disagree on approach. Even if we agree on approach, our differing personalities guarantee that we won’t always handle things in exactly the same way. Good communication and ongoing discussion can help any couple to find agreement on important issues as they raise their children.

MYTH: Good parents don’t lose their patience and yell at their children.

TRUTH: Even the most peaceful easy-going parent loses patience and yells from time to time. No matter how much we love our children, they will try our patience, they will make mistakes, and they will make us mad. All children have their “naughty” moments. And, guess what? When children are “naughty”— parents lose their patience and <gasp> they YELL.

REALITY CHECK: It’s normal to lose your cool and yell at your children, but it isn’t fun and it isn’t productive. Take the time to learn a few new anger management skills and some parenting tools. These will help those angry moments become less intense and less frequent.

Take some time to think about these and other myths, theories, ideals and expectations that you have believed. Ponder where these beliefs originated, and why you believe them to be truth. Then contemplate what you learning about the truth of the matter. When you analyze myths and replace them with your own truth, it can help you to approach parenting in a more honest, uncluttered and enjoyable way.

Excerpted with permission by McGraw-Hill Publishing from The No-Cry Discipline Solution (McGraw-Hill 2007) by Elizabeth Pantley http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth

About the author:
Elizabeth Pantley is the author of several books, including Gentle Baby Care : No-cry, No-fuss, No-worry — Essential Tips for Raising Your Baby, The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night, Kid Cooperation (with an introduction by William Sears, MD), Perfect Parenting, as well as her latest The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers and is also president of Better Beginnings, Inc. She is a popular speaker on family issues, and her newsletter, Parent Tips, is seen in schools nationwide. She appears as a regular radio show guest, and has been quoted in Parents, Parenting, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, American Baby, Working Mother, and Woman’s Day magazines. Visit Elizabeth’s web site http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth.

By Deanna Mascle

Providing positive, enjoyable literacy experiences give young children opportunities to gain the knowledge, awareness, skills, and love of learning that they need to later learn to read independently. Here are 8 ways you can provide those experiences:

Choose the Right Books
Choose books that have large colorful pictures or photos; a few words on a page; rich language; and relate to concepts, people, or things in children’s lives. With this exposure, young children learn that books and reading explain the world they live in and ultimately help them better understand themselves. Sound like a tall order for a toddler?

Not really when you consider perennial favorites such as The Hungry Caterpillar. This book does not contain many words but teaches counting and science concepts.

Read Out Loud
Read to children regularly and often. Pick a regular reading time, but also watch for opportunities to read books, signs, letters, or other print spontaneously. The experience of reading as a typical, everyday occurrence helps children gain confidence that they can learn to read themselves.

Stories influence children’s learning for life. Some research suggests that the more stories children hear before entering school, the more likely they will be successful academically. Listening to books benefits their vocabulary and comprehension.

Spending just 15 minutes a day on this worthwhile activity can reap tremendous benefits!

Make Reading Fun
Use a variety of expressions, tones, and voices to make a book even more fun.

Allow a child to listen at her own pace. If a baby fusses or a toddler wanders away, don’t worry. Set the book aside and try again later. A baby may only listen for a minute or two at a time. Toddlers may want to wander around while you read, or listen to a few pages, move on to something else, and then return for a few more pages.

Encourage a child to join in on repeating phrases or rhymes, and honor requests to read the same book over and over.

Make Books Available
Make books available to babies and toddlers every day. Babies don’t distinguish books from other toys and may pull, toss, or chew books. This tactile, physical exploration of books and how they work is important to literacy development.

Show how books work. Point out the cover, show which is the top and bottom, front and back of the book, and talk about how words are read from left to right on the page. Use your finger to point to a word and the corresponding picture on the page.

Talk To Your Child
Remember literacy is about more than reading the printed word, it is about communication and understanding.

According to the National Research Council in Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Reading Success, “Talk is essential – the more meaningful and substantive the better.” Babies and toddlers learn about the sounds, meanings, and ideas in language when adults talk with them. Preschoolers expand their vocabulary and learn sentence structure.

Conversations with your children about what they are reading are critical to children’s learning. Discussing books helps them understand how stories work, and how language works. When reading, stop and talk about the pictures and words on the page.

Listen To Your Child
As much as babies, toddlers, and preschoolers need to hear language, they also need to practice and imitate sounds and words with interested listeners. Respond to your child’s conversation and repeat their words back to them. Ask questions to show you are listening and that encourage a child to talk. Listen carefully and acknowledge answers. Listen to children’s questions and take time to answer.

Sing With Your Child
Children love to sing and can learn a great deal about stories and language from many popular children’s songs. Songs also often teach through their content (alphabet, counting, etc.) Many nursery rhymes can also be learned through song and knowledge of nursery rhymes is an important part of overall literacy.

Pull out old favorites like “This Old Man” or “Where is Thumbkin?” and make up your own songs, too.

Let Your Child Write
When children write, they naturally begin to pay attention to the sounds words make and the letters that form words. And it doesn’t matter how they spell! Recent research shows that young children who are allowed to write often with invented spelling, develop the ability to become good readers.

About the author
Deanna Mascle is the publisher of Preschoolers Learn More. She has three post secondary degrees and 15 years professional experience teaching (plus more years than she’d like to admit as a camp counselor, Sunday School teacher, and Bible Camp staff member) and she needs every scrap of her education and experience to keep up with Noah Mascle, age 4. Visit for more tips and resources for teaching your preschooler including Teach Your Child the Alphabet and Learning to Read through Rhyme.

by Bridget Messino

Our children are probably the biggest clutter creators we have in our homes — even more so than the dreaded paper flow. It starts out innocently, when we find out we are expecting; then the purchasing frenzy swings into high gear and does not let up until, well, let’s just say many years down the road.

The clutter begins on the highly anticipated homecoming day when our countertops fill quickly with samples and instructions from the hospital. The bottles of formula, diapers, blankets and wipes all begin to take root on the counters and any and all other flat surfaces. You can kiss that nesting mode goodbye and say hello to survival mode!

Stage 1: Infant Organization

Obviously, organizing for an infant is the sole responsibility of the parent. The main areas for infant organization are:

• the changing table
• the diaper bag

The nursery’s changing table is a great place to start with simple organizing techniques. Divide the shelves below the changing surface with baskets; fill one with diapers and wipes, one with crib bedding and blankets, one with onesies and socks, etc. Baskets are a great accessory for the nursery because they are portable, lightweight and decorative. They are also readily available everywhere from discount stores to high-end decorating stores.

Next, the diaper bag can be your best friend when stocked and organized properly. Take some time before your next outing and take inventory of your contents. Diaper bags today have all these great little dividers and compartments for storing all your stuff. Upon returning from your outing re-stock and refresh your bag, so you will be ready for the next time you go visiting.

Stage 2: Toddler-Preschool Organization

Organizing this active group can be a challenge, but there are several organizing exercises in which you can involve your child, including putting away:

• books
• videos
• toys

The clear plastic containers that you can find all over these days are great kid-friendly storage solutions. Try labeling each one with a picture of its contents to make for easy cleanup for those little non-readers (store advertisements and catalogs are a great picture source, as well as printing pictures from internet sites).

Baskets are also great for storing their favorite books and videotapes, though you might want to store them out of reach to prevent them from constantly being dumped out on the floor! Little hands can manipulate a basket with much more confidence than a tightly stuffed bookshelf. Lastly, designate an area in your home for the toys. It is important for your child to understand that their toys have a place and need to make their way back there before bedtime.

Stage 3: School Age Organization

By this time, your kids are busy with many of their own activities and all the required “stuff” that goes with it. As frustrating as it may be the tenth time you have to remind your child to put away their belongings or straighten up their shelves, do not give in to the temptation to just do it yourself. This is a critical time period for developing life-long habit and you will both gain from a little patience and consistency.

Encourage your children to keep a calendar of their activities and after school commitments. Display a master family calendar, so everyone is informed and no one is left ride-less or out of the loop.

Laundry at this stage of parenting can become quite an overwhelming task. Invest in basket-sorter hampers for the kids’ laundry; your kids are quite capable at this age of sorting their dirty clothes by color. The pre-sort saves you time on laundry day.

Stage 4: High School and Beyond
Keep up the encouragement — these young adults have a lot on their minds and schedules. This can be an extremely stressful time with the college applications, spring break plans, graduations, not to mention a full course load and endless extra-curricular activities. Good time management skills are critical to maintaining these over-extended calendars. Paired with time management skills, organizational skills will help create a smooth transition to whatever path your children choose (restocking the diaper bag now seems like a cinch, doesn’t it?).

Rest assured that all your hard work building a good organizing foundation will remain with your children throughout their adult life. Who knows — maybe they will win the lottery one day and know exactly where they filed their winning ticket because they were raised in a home that stressed organization, and to show their gratitude share the prize with mom and dad.

Copyright 2004
Bridget Messino

About the author
Bridget Messino is a Professional Organizer and co-owner of Clutter Free Living, Inc. Her work frequently appears on many Internet sites and on her own organizing site Clutter Free Living as well as in her monthly Home Organizing Newsletter How to Be Clutter Free. Subscribe to the FREE monthly e-newsletter by sending a blank e-mail to cflnews-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com

by Danna Henderson

When your child shows most of the signs of potty training readiness, you can start introducing him to the idea.

Potty Training Books, Videos, & DVDs
Potty training books, videos, and DVDs provide a great opportunity to introduce the potty to your child. Read a book as a bedtime story or watch a video together. Your child will surely have questions and be delighted when he finds a potty chair of his own!

Potty Chair or Seat
As you begin introducing the potty to your child, be sure to put a potty chair in the bathroom. Children love to imitate other family members and your child will probably sit on it when he sees you use the bathroom. After watching a potty training video or reading a potty training story, your child will have a pretty good idea what the potty is for.

Potty Training Doll
Dr. Phil recommends purchase an anatomically correct drink & wet doll for potty training. His method involves having your child teach the doll to use the potty, thereby learning himself!

Training Pants
Potty training pants facilitate potty training by enabling your child to feel that he is wet. Diapers draw the moisture away from your child’s skin so he can’t always tell that he has just peed. Training pants allow your child to feel the wetness while protecting everything else from leaks.

Potty Training Incentives
Rewards and incentives such as stickers, snacks, and certificates can be great potty training tools. They work especially well for children who understand the basics but need an incentive to stop what they are doing and sit on the potty.

Copyright © 2004 ZIP Baby. All Rights Reserved.

Danna Henderson
ZIP Baby
101 Convention Center Drive, Ste 700
Las Vegas, NV 89109
www.zipbaby.com

About The Author
Danna Henderson started ZIP Baby in order to provide parents with comprehensive potty training information as well as a large variety of potty training products. For more information about potty training, visit www.zipbaby.com.
info@zipbaby.com

by Danna Henderson

Some children practically potty train themselves, while others struggle and resist against the potty. Potty training should never turn into the battle of the wills. If it does, both you and your child will loose. When dealing with strong-willed child, it’s best to turn potty training into a game. Use the following suggestions to make potty training fun and exciting for you and your child:

Musical Potty Chairs
Musical potty chairs, like the Tinkle Toonz, use positive reinforcement by playing a tune to reward your child for a job well done.

Potty Training Dolls
Dr. Phil recommends that parents purchase an anatomically correct drink & wet doll for potty training. Both the Corolle and Aquini potty training dolls can be used with Dr. Phil’s method. By helping your child teach the doll to use the potty, your child will learn without realizing it.

Potty Training Charts & Stickers
Potty training charts and stickers can go a long way to motivate your child to use the potty. At first he may need a reward each time he sits on the potty. Eventually you will need to restrict rewards to actually using the potty. When your child uses the potty consistently, stickers can add up to a bigger reward for a specific number of accident free days.

Potty Training Watch
Some children don’t want their playtime to be interrupted for frequent potty breaks. However, if you have a fun way to remind your child to take a potty break, he will probably be more receptive. Try a potty training watch, such as the VibraLite, which can be set to vibrate every 30 minutes to 1 hour to remind your child to sit on the potty.

Potty Training Targets
Potty training targets are a great way to teach boys how to aim. They come in a variety of colors and shapes, the potty training targets can also be used to teach colors and shapes.

Copyright © 2004 ZIP Baby. All Rights Reserved.

Danna Henderson
ZIP Baby
101 Convention Center Drive, Ste 700
Las Vegas, NV 89109
www.zipbaby.com

About The Author
Danna Henderson started ZIP Baby in order to provide parents with comprehensive potty training information as well as a large variety of potty training products. For more information about potty training, visit the ZIP Baby Potty Training Store.

by Danna Henderson

Blue & Yellow Make Green
Put a few drops of blue food coloring in the toilet and show your child that the color turns green when he or she pees in the potty!

Toilet Targets
Purchase or make toilet targets to teach your child to aim.

Musical Potty Chair
Musical potty chairs, such as the Tinkle Toonz, play a tune when your child uses the potty!

Potty training Doll
Anatomically correct drink & wet dolls, such as the Corolle or Aquini dolls, help make toilet training fun and easy. This method is recommended by Dr. Phil.

Potty Training Watch
Make potty time reminders fun and exciting with the VibraLite toilet training watch. The VibraLite watch, which comes in purple or blue, can be set to vibrate every 30 minutes as a fun reminder that it’s potty time!

Books, Videos, & DVDs
Toilet training bedtime stories, videos and DVDs are a fun educational way to introduce toilet training to your child.

Charts & Stickers
Toilet training charts and stickers are great motivational tools. Start by giving stickers for sitting on the potty. After a while, give stickers only when your child uses the potty. Finally, offer a small toy as a reward for 3 accident free days.

Fun Toilet Training Pants
Toilet training pants and liners come in fantastic colors. Let your child choose the color of training pants or underwear to wear.

Phone Call From Superhero
Reward your child for using the potty with a phone call from his or her superhero. Enlist friends or neighbors to play the part.

Copyright © 2004 ZIP Baby. All Rights Reserved.

Danna Henderson
ZIP Baby
101 Convention Center Drive, Ste 700
Las Vegas, NV 89109
www.zipbaby.com

About The Author
Danna Henderson started ZIP Baby in order to provide parents with comprehensive potty training information as well as a large variety of potty training products. For more information about potty training, visit the ZIP Baby Potty Training Store.

It is the holidays and it is time to start thinking about WHAT you should get your baby or toddler as gifts. Depending on the age you may ask IF you really need to have gifts for your baby under the tree or not. Many people would say no, but if you really want something under the tree that you can help your baby unwrap, there are some great ideas!

For babies under a year, it is probable that they won’t understand the whole “gift giving” idea or even be able to figure out how to unwrap a present on their own. They won’t care if there is a rattle, a gym, or a new outfit under the tree. If this is your baby then buy things that YOU need and that will help your baby developmentally, or clothing for the upcoming season. Wrap up these items so that they are under the tree so that your baby has gifts on Christmas morning, but that they are things he really needs. After all, he won’t know the difference. For the toys and other educational items you do buy your baby you need to be sure that you look at the age guidelines and recommendations so that you know you are choosing the right toy for your child.

For the young kids, they will be more prone to looking at the ornaments and lights on the tree, or decorations up around your house. Walk him around letting him see the lights, touch the non-fragile decorations, and enjoy the material part of the holidays. It is never too early to start holiday traditions with your baby.

If your baby is between a year and two years old, it is possible that he can unwrap his presents, but depending on his age he may still not “get it” when it comes to the holidays and presents. At this point he is still young enough that you can take him shopping with you and let him help you pick out his gifts by him showing you items he would like someday. Chances are he will forget that you bought them by the time he unwraps them.

Good gift ideas for your toddler can include a wide range of items

• Board books
• Puzzles (the ones with big, thick pieces)
• Coloring books/crayons (if he is no longer sticking them in his mouth)
• Desk/Table of his own (for him to sit at to color, do puzzles or read)
• Little fold out couch of his favorite theme (these range from Superman to Dora and everything in between)
• Leap Pad items for brain development
• Dress up clothes for creative development

These are just a few ideas of items you can buy your toddler that will help him grow and learn, while keeping him entertained. There is always the option of buying every new toy on the market during the holidays for your baby, and if you can and you choose too that is ok too! Remember that as hectic as the holidays are for you, they will be overwhelming for your young child so be sure to give them a lot of time and space to rest and regroup so that you don’t have an unhappy toddler on your hands after presents are unwrapped and it is time to sit down for Christmas dinner.

by Jennifer D. Kirkpatrick

Toys do more than just keep babies entertained – they’re extremely important for their mental, physical, intellectual and social development. They are the tools that teach baby about their world and their place in it. They add excitement to learning about life, how things work and how to get along with others. Good toys will give your little one the motivation to play and develop basic skills.

This article provides suggestions on choosing age appropriate toys and activities during baby’s first year. Following these guidelines will help you be continually expanding baby’s horizons and encouraging healthy development.

During the First 3 Months
For the first few months babies do little more than sleep and eat. In fact some sleep as much as 20 hours a day! Make the most of the time they’re awake by choosing toys and nursery accessories that stimulate them and encourage them to use their developing senses.

When playing with a newborn, remember that they see best when objects are about eight inches away from their face. Make sure they can see you by leaning in when talking to them and holding toys close.

At this stage introduce…

The single most important way for children to develop the knowledge they need to become successful readers later on is for you to read aloud to them often-beginning when they are babies. When reading books is a regular part of family life, you send your child a message that books are important, enjoyable and full of new things to learn.

From the time your child is born, make reading aloud to your child a part of your daily routine. Pick a quiet time, such as just before you put him to bed. This will give him a chance to rest between play and sleep. If you can, read with him in your lap or snuggled next to you so that he feels close and safe. As he gets older, he may need to move around some as you read to him. If he gets tired or restless, stop reading. Make reading aloud a quiet and comfortable time that your child looks forward to.

Try to Read to Your Child Every Day
At first, read for no more than a few minutes at a time, several times a day. As your child grows older, you should be able to tell if she wants you to read for longer periods. Don’t be discouraged if you have to skip a day or don’t always keep to your schedule. Just get back to your daily routine as soon as you can. Most of all make sure that reading stays fun for both of you!

Pick the Right Books
Give your baby sturdy board books to look at, touch and hold. Allow him to turn the pages, look through the holes or lift the flaps. As your child grows older, have books on shelves or in baskets that are at his level. Encourage him to look through the books and talk about them. He may talk about the pictures and he may “pretend” to read a book that he has heard many times.

For a late toddler or early preschooler, use reading aloud to help him learn about books and print. As you read aloud, stop now and then and point to letters and words; then point to the pictures they stand for. Your child will begin to understand that the letters form words and that words name pictures. He will also start to learn that each letter has its own sound — one of the most important things your child can know when learning to read.

Ask Your Child for Feedback
Encourage her to ask questions and to talk about the story. Ask her to predict what will come next. Point to things in books that she can relate to in her own life: “Look at the picture of the penguin. Do you remember the penguin we saw at the zoo?”

Reread Favorite Books
Your child will probably ask you to read favorite books over and over. Even though you may become tired of the same books, he will enjoy and continue to learn from hearing them read again and again.

The books that you pick to read with your child are very important. If you aren’t sure what books are right for your child, ask a librarian to help you choose titles. Read “predictable” books to your child. Predictable books are books with words or actions that appear over and over. These books help children to predict or tell what happens next.

Encourage Your Child to Listen and Repeat
As you read, encourage your child to listen for and say repeating words and phrases, such as names for colors, numbers, letters, animals, objects and daily life activities. Your child will learn the repeated words or phrase and have fun joining in with you each time they show up in the story. Pretty soon, she will join in before you tell her.

Be Enthusiastic About Reading
Read the story with expression. Make it more interesting by talking as the characters would talk, making sound effects and using facial expressions and gestures.

Buy a Children’s Dictionary
If possible choose a dictionary that has pictures next to the words. Then start the “let’s look it up” habit.

Keep Materials Handy
Make writing materials such as crayons, pencils and paper available.

Go to the Library
Begin making weekly trips to the library when your child is very young. See that your child gets his own library card as soon as possible. Many libraries issue cards to children as soon as they can print their names (you’ll also have to sign for your child).

Show Your Child That You Read
When you take your child to the library, check out a book for yourself. Then set a good example by letting your child see you reading for yourself. Ask your child to get one of her books and sit with you as you read your book, magazine or newspaper. Don’t worry if you feel uncomfortable with your own reading ability. It’s the reading that counts. When your child sees that reading is important to you, she may decide that it is important to her, too.

by Blake Kritzberg

There are a lot of options out there when it comes to helping your baby’s development along, including piping Mozart to your child in the womb or teaching her to sign shortly after she’s born. But you’re still giving your baby a great start just by providing her with the building blocks she’ll need to learn to read.

Just about all the important things that modern science suggests when it comes to helping your baby’s brain develop have been practiced by parents for millennia. Now as ever, these steps are important:

Sing to your baby. Babies and toddlers love rhyme almost as much as they love the soothing sound of your voice.

Talk to your baby. Even when your baby is tiny, talk to her as if she already understands what you’re saying. Use gestures, body language and tone of voice to keep her attention and dramatize your message.

Imitate your baby. When she makes those first experimental sounds, make them back to her. Your baby will feel how important she is to you, and get excited by the effort of language.

Play “where’s the?” games. Ask your baby, “Where’s your toes?” “Find” her toes and touch them, then switch the playing field to her fingers or nose.

Touch your baby. Whenever possible, hold your baby in your lap and cuddle her while you talk or sing to her. Even when she’s much older, she’ll still associate the warmth and coziness of this early experience with language.

Start out with books. Even as early as six weeks of age, you can start introducing books to your baby. Pick bright, tactile books with clear pictures of things your baby might recognize, like puppies or cribs. Sturdy books they can touch or pet are ideal; look for classic “touch-and-feel” titles like Baby Animal Kisses or Pat the Bunny. The classic fabric “Quiet Book,” with its embroideries, braids, buckles and buttons, is an unbeatable way to interest a slightly older baby. Cuddle your baby in your lap and read for short periods of time, so it never becomes arduous for either you or her.

About the Author:
Blake Kritzberg is owner of BebeBleu. Stop by http://www.bebebleu.com for baby bedding, cribs and apparel.