Meal times are a time of learning and exploration for babies and toddlers. Not only are they exposed to a variety of new textures, but to tastes and smells as well. While your baby is still eating purees from the spoon, fewer messes are to be expected; once he or she graduates to finger or table foods, however, all bets are off.

When our daughter first began eating table foods, it was an adventure. Not only did she have the joy and frustration of discovering different tastes and textures, but she also was able to explore her food for the first time not only with her mouth, but with her hands as well. After meal time was over, we’d find crumbs and small pieces of food tucked away into her hair, down her shirt and even underneath her legs where she was sitting. The high chair fared no better – food would be found all around the padded seat cushion, including on, inside and underneath it, not to mention crusted onto the tray.

What’s a somewhat clean-freak parent to do? Before getting out the bleach and spraying down the entire high chair, my husband and I decided to take a more calm approach. After taking the tray and padded cushion off the chair, we read the manufacturers’ instructions and proceeded to clean the chair accordingly. The tray goes to the kitchen sink, where it’s washed with dish soap and warm water, then dried and returned to the eating area. Then we use a non-chemical all-purpose cleaner to spray down the vinyl seat cushion, the chair underneath, and the foot rests. For the straps that hold her in, we scrub those with the cleaner and a sponge and, when they get really bad, soak them in soapy water or run them through the washing machine.

As for our daughter, we’ve learned a few tricks to keeping her clean at meal time, too. We use a receiving blanket tucked around her neck and down over her chest to catch any crumbs that fall down from her hand or mouth, and try to wipe down her hands with a damp wash cloth before she gets a chance to rub her eyes, hair, face or anything else within reach.

It’s not a fool-proof method, but it usually keeps the messes to a minimum.

Written by: Juliet

You probably remember the ease of your first baby. It was you and your partner, bringing home your newborn son or daughter and starting a new life with just the three of you. You had extended family, but the bonding that occurred was simple, problem free. However, now that you are having another baby you may be feeling some discontent from your previous child or children, or you may be worried about how they will react once the baby is born.

Kids have different opinions and reactions when their parents tell them that they are going to have a new baby brother or sister. Some kids are very excited, others get scared or act out at the prospect of having to share you with another child. Whether your children are excited or not, there are ways to make the transition smoother.

Depending on the age of your other children, you may want to have them in the delivery room with you, witnessing the birth. Some kids will be comfortable with this, others won’t. If they are old enough but do not want to be in, having them in the hospital so that they can visit you during labor, and see the baby immediately after he is born is a good way to help your older child bond with the new baby.

Some people choose to have a gift for their child from the new baby, especially if it is the first sibling. A gift that says “I love you”, or “The Best Big Brother/Big Sister”. This will help the bonding start between the siblings.

It is important to let your child hold the new baby as soon as possible so that they know this is real. Even if your child is young, letting them sit on the bed with you, while you hold the baby and letting them hold the babies hand, rub the babies head, or sing to the baby, will help him build a connection with this new person in his life.

Remember that no matter how excited your child seemed about this new sibling while you were pregnant, now that it is “real” the excitement might go away. Your child might become clingy. It is important that you let them know they are loved by making time to spend with just the two of you during the day, possibly while your newborn is napping. Your older child will adjust to this new baby over time. Just remember to have patience with him and everything will work out ok.

By Michelle Shelton, Parenting Coach
Keys2Kids.com

Does your toddler run away from you? Does he run into the street at times or run towards it, nearly giving you a heart attack? All mothers have felt the panic of seeing their little guy sprinting toward the street! My mother used to say; “you’ll die a million deaths before you get em raised”.

I often see mothers chasing their toddlers. The little guy is charging wildly toward the street and the mother has a frightened look in her eye. Once she catches Jr. she usually has some harsh words for him and in turn, he giggles and attempts to wiggle away from her. She might even give him a little swat on his diapered bottom to let him know she really means business. The mother then calms down because, after all, he is still a just a baby.

What are you supposed to do as a mother?

Let’s start with a question. What is your job as a mother? Is it to simply protect your child from harm? To feed him, clothe him and take care of his needs? Since the role of a mother is not clearly defined in our culture, we think mothers are supposed to love our child. Period. That’s it. Loving them means taking care of them and doing everything for them, right? Wrong! Get ready because I am about to define your real role as a mother and I want you to write this down! Your job as a mother is to…….TEACH. That’s it. Teach your children how to get along without you. God gave children a mother for this one thing in mind.

You are saying, yeah, but what about training? Isn’t it my job as a good mother to train my children in the way they should go? Yes and no. Training shows your children “how” to do something. Teaching gives them the reason “why” they do something. It is imperative to teach and not just train.

Jeffery Gitomer said it best when he said, “pretend you have a teenage daughter, do you want her to have sex EDUCATION…or…sex TRAINING? Yikes! When you put it that way, it makes sense, doesn’t it?

When you teach your children, you give them the concrete information they need to make wise decisions on their own. They have to think and decide for themselves. They have the information needed to embrace your reasons in a clear, logical way. It is even more imperative to do this with boys than it is girls because boys are usually more logical.

By now you are thinking I forgot about the toddler in the street. Well, I didn’t. My children never went into the street because I taught them “why” they shouldn’t go in the street. Now I will teach you how to teach your children the same thing.

A TRAINING statement would be, “If you go in the street, you will get hit by a car.” Haven’t most little kids been hit by a brother, sister, playmate, or cousin? If they haven’t personally been hit, they have seen people hit or they have hit others! The point is, no one died. No one wiggled around in severe paid and then disappeared. They know they WILL recover if the car HITS them. Hitting is not life threatening, is it?

Scare Them

Now, let’s do a TEACHING situation. Scare them. Does this go against your motherly instinct? Sorry. Reality is, if they run in front of a car, they are most likely going to die. This is scary. They need to fear the cars. How can you scare your own child you ask? First of all, I am not saying go out and rent a copy of Stephen King’s, “The Car” and show it to your child. I am saying fear is sometimes healthy.

If you go in the street, the cars will eat you!

What is a realistic way to make sure your child would have a healthy fear of cars? When my children were little I had a stroke of genius when I said, If you go in the street, the cars will eat you! Children know about eating. They know that chewing would have to hurt. Most have bitten their own finger hard enough to know it would hurt and hurt BAD. They also know that anything they eat is GONE FOREVER.

Once you learn to develop healthy fears in your child, your child will see that the world is a delightful yet scary place and it does have boundaries that limit all of us. After all, that is the truth. Doesn’t your child deserve the truth?

© 2003 by Michelle Shelton. All rights reserved

About the Author
Michelle Shelton is an author, parenting coach, parent consultant, acclaimed public speaker, and parent educator. Michelle is the author of the well known column Life with all these Kids. Contact her at 480-888-9352 or michelleshelton@yahoo.com.

Babies Online can not garauntee that this statement will keep your child safe – this article is posted as an educational resource only.

by Skye Thomas

We call him the Buddha Napoleon. Anyone who’s ever lived with a two year old knows exactly what I’m talking about. He’s this amazing blend of cosmic beauty, love, and peace while simultaneously making it crystal clear that he’s the grand dictator of the known universe. His little size never deters him from anything he sets his mind to. I’d forgotten so much since raising my first two children. The ten and twelve year age difference allows for that. Lucky for the Buddha Napoleon, I’ve had practice and am therefore a lot more knowledgeable and patient this time around.

I believe this is probably the most important year for his social development. During the first year of a baby’s life, we’re supposed to set a solid foundation of love and trust. That first year puts in place a basic belief that the world is a wonderful place full of love and light, or it’s not. The second year, we teach them to believe in themselves. Get up and walk, learn to speak, learn to manipulate toys, learn that ever important can-do attitude. After the second birthday, it’s all about personal power and boundaries. How do we get what we want from others? How do we stay out of trouble? Why do all of these stupid rules exist anyway? Do I have a right to tell you “No” since you say it to me all of the time? What are the consequences if I give in all of the time? And if I don’t give in, then what? Am I in charge of my life or are you? I think it’s a miniature version of the same dynamics we go through with our teenagers. They’re just revisiting these same questions from a taller and more hormonal perspective. Handle the two year old stage well, and I think you’ll find the teenage years aren’t nearly so difficult.

Remember back to when you were thirteen… did your folks answer your questions with, “Because I said so” or did they actually give you real reasons for their decisions? Which had a bigger impact on your ability to honor and respect their view point? It’s no different with two year olds. Find the vocabulary that they understand and explain to them why they can’t scream at the top of their lungs just to hear the echo throughout the grocery store. It hurts my ears. It hurts everyone in the stores ears, and that’s not okay. Explain why they can’t kick and pound on you while you are buckling them into the car seat. That hurts me, and I don’t like it. Quite often they’ll quit. You’ll still have days when they’ll do it anyway, but they’ll completely understand why they’re getting busted. They’ll know that it’s because they made a choice not because you’re just being mean for the heck of it. Over and over, you have to keep telling them why. They also need to see you enforce the rules on others too. Role model for them that everyone in the house is being held by the same standards of behavior. Conduct yourself accordingly. Eventually, they’ll come to agree with the rules if they understand the reasoning behind them. “Because I said so” isn’t a reason that any self-respecting two year old will ever embrace.

Self-respect is a very important aspect that I think too many parents downplay in raising their children. How is someone supposed to come away with any kind of self-respect if they’ve been raised to never ever disagree or question authority? My favorite is when I hear people say, “Don’t say no to me, I’m your mother!” The fact that people are capable of breeding doesn’t make them right! If you want your child to respect you and to speak to you with respect, then earn it. Children are very observant. Do you practice what you preach? Do you scream and yell at them and then bust them for doing the same thing back to you? They mimic your behaviors because you represent what it is to be a grown up in society. Do you spank first and ask questions second? Then they will too. Do you want a child who grows up to be a follower or a leader? If you punish them every time they try to take the lead, then they will either avoid leadership, or they will punish anyone who gets in their way.

Give your child the right to say “No.” Tell your two year old it’s okay to say “No, I don’t want Uncle Johnny to pick me up and tickle me right now.” Then, make Uncle Johnny respect your toddler’s personal space. Later, when the child is in someone else’s space, you can remind them of how it feels as you explain why they need to back off.

The key to this is to teach your child about presentation and about listening skills. It’s okay to disagree with me, but you can’t scream and yell and kick. It’s okay to tell me no, but you also have to listen to my side of the argument too. You then have to role model what it is you want from them. You have to listen to their reasons and then they have to listen to yours. Teach them negotiation skills. Teach them how to say no so that it’s not offensive. Sure it’s a lot easier to just deny them the right to disagree, but it’ll come back on you when they’re teenagers. Almost everyone disagreed with me when I gave my older two kids permission to question authority and to openly argue their point. I just made sure they were polite and respectful while doing so. Their teachers and babysitters weren’t always thrilled, but communications were always open and honest and understandings were always reached. My older two have a solid belief in setting personal boundaries and not allowing others to take advantage. And so does the Buddha Napoleon.

Copyright 2004, Tomorrow’s Edge, Skye Thomas

About the Author
Skye Thomas began writing books and articles with an everyday practical approach to life in 1999 after twenty years of studying spirituality, metaphysics, astrology, personal growth, motivation, and parenting. After years of high heels and business clothes, she is currently enjoying working from home in her pajamas. Go to www.TomorrowsEdge.net to read more of her articles and to get a free preview of one of her books.

by Patty Hone

Before you had kids you probably witnessed an out of control child having a temper tantrum at the store. More than likely you thought or said, “If that was my child, I would ______”. Well now here you are with children of your own dealing with these exact situations. Temper tantrums are a normal part of life with toddlers and preschoolers. Almost all young children have tantrums occasionally. If handled appropriately, most children outgrow this stage by four or five.

Some children have severe tantrums and may get so upset that they vomit or hold their breath until they pass out. Although this can be extremely upsetting to the parent, the child will generally recover quickly and completely. If your child is fainting or vomiting from tantrums, you may want to consult your pediatrician to check for any other health concerns.

How you handle tantrums will have a direct impact on the frequency and intensity of the tantrums. Here are some tips on preventing tantrums and how to respond to them.

Make sure your child is not over-tired
If she is cranky or tired put her down for a nap or try doing some quiet time. You can lay down in the bed and read a book or play soothing music to help her relax.

Be consistent with your rules
If she has a tantrum and you give in to her demands, she will try this again. The more consistent you are, the more she will learn that tantrums don’t work.

When you ask your child to do something, try asking nicely first
“Mommy needs some help picking up the toys” usually goes over better than “get in here and pick up this mess!”

Don’t use bribery
Does she really deserve a cookie for going to bed on time or not misbehaving at the grocery store? By doing this you will only encourage her to break the rules to get a treat.

Don’t react to her by yelling at her to be quiet
This will probably only upset her more. Sometimes in the midst of an outburst it is hard for a child to regain composure. Help her to calm down by giving her some quiet time in her room. Offer her a cup of water to help her relax if she is hyperventilating.

Sometimes children have tantrums because they want your attention. Look at the situation. Have you been watching tv, reading a book, or talking on the phone? If your child hasn’t had much “mommy time”, she may be trying to tell you something. Once she has calmed down from her tantrum, try setting some time aside just for her.

If you are in a public place, remove the child from the situation if you can. Go to the car or the restroom until she calms down.

When to call the doctor
If you are concerned that your child’s tantrums are extreme or more frequent than they should be, call your pediatrician for help. If your child injures herself or others, destroys property, has frequent nightmares, regresses in potty training, faints, has stomach aches or anxiety attacks consult your doctor.

About The Author
Patty Hone is a wife and mommy to three kids. She is also co-owner of Justmommies.com. Justmommies is an online community of moms sharing the joys and struggles of motherhood. Message boards, chats, articles, parenting, pregnancy info and more. www.justmommies.com.  email@justmommies.com

by Kristyna CullenKids don’t come with a handbook; I keep trying to tell myself that. As a mother of three babies under the age of three, it is becoming a daily thought for me. My daughter Rielly has just turned three and has approached the age of defiance and independence. Her younger brother Jamieson, 19 months, struggles to keep up with her, but is very much in harmony with his younger brother Connor, 5 months. With every day that passes I find myself questioning more and more about what I am doing, and what the residual outcome on their personalities will be.

Coming from a large family of seven, resulting in a plethora of nieces and nephews (10 to be exact!), I find that instead of being more secure in my own parenting skills, I am more apprehensive than I ever expected myself to be. Today’s parents are bombarded with so much information about what to do or not to do. Do I discipline with a smack or with words, or a combination of both? Just how long do I let her cry at night, as the wallpaper comes peeling off with every scream, and the door jam buckles with every kick? The girl has got stamina and those nightly delay tactics can last for hours! And do I make her sit at the table until all the food on her plate is gone?

If I was to ask my mother any of these questions, her answers are my own experiences. I lived through them and I remember everything! My mother was no tyrant, but she did keep us all in line and I am so very thankful for that, but I often wonder how did she get us to behave? I have asked my mother that very question, and she had the reply “I just did what I needed to do.” We weren’t always in trouble, we just somehow “knew better”. She also said that one day I would find out for myself. So far, I have no clue.

I don’t necessarily agree with every rule my mother had, but some how she made it all work. I have tried different types of discipline techniques for my daughter, from bribery, to the time out chair, to just putting her in her room to scream it out and fall asleep. The problem is… she is just like me. I find that I am fighting with myself. I often have to give my head a shake and remember that she is three and there is no reasoning with a three-year-old.

I just hope that as time goes by, she remembers that I am her mother, I made her, and she is part of me, she can’t kid a kidder! I hope she knows that no mater how “mean” I appear to be, I will always love her and always be her friend. I am worried though, that she may outsmart me one day, that is a day I dread. I am making such an effort to remember every thought I ever had as a teenager, no matter how painful, distorted or unrealistic, in the hopes that it will help me with the challenges that lie ahead with my precious daughter when she gets to those dreaded teenage years.

There is so much those parenting books don’t tell you about the real parenting experience. Such as what it feels like to teach your children to fall asleep on their own. And about how, in order for them to learn for themselves, you have to sit back and watch your children make mistakes, with the hopes that they will see the truth behind your advice. The books make it seem like it is a difficult journey the children must endure.

What they don’t tell you, is that the hardest part of it all is how we, as parents, must hold back and refrain from acting on those God-given impulses that make us the parents we are. We mustn’t go running in the room when our child yells bloody murder to get out at bedtime. We must remember that our children won’t starve themselves, so it is ok to leave food on their plate and for them not eat if they choose not to, in order to develop healthy views on mealtime.

We must watch our daughters fall for that boy that we know is no good for her, only to watch her heart get broken. But as long as we are there to help them pick up the pieces later, and to, God forbid, encourage more growth and maturity, than I guess all our painful actions (or lack there of) will not go unrewarded.

I do often doubt my parenting skills when I listen to the nonchalant ramblings of others about parent dos and don’ts. But as look at my precious babies today, as I uncurl Jamieson’s fingers from his sisters hair, jiggle Connor on my knee wildly, and offer more stickers to Rielly for successful trips to the bathroom, I wouldn’t have my family any other way. Except maybe a little quieter…nah, I like the squeals!

About the Author
My name is Kristyna Cullen and I have been married for 9 years. After five years of trying to get pregnant and sustain the pregnancy (after two over 12 week old miscarriages with D&C’s, and oral progesterone) I finally delivered my first child, a baby girl Rielly, in 2001. A difficult pregnancy and even more difficult delivery, complicated by gestational diabetes, and low hormone levels. But following the same protocol, I successfully had two more baby boys, Jamieson 2002, and Connor 2003. I have returned to work full time as a cytotechnologist at a medical laboratory in Mississauga and share daycare with my husband, who also works full time as a transit operator. I live in Brampton, where my daughter has just begun JR kindergarten. I happily take refuge in my newly purchased first home with all of my wonderful children and their just as stressed, father…my husband Gerry. We have two birds, four koi, three goldfish, two hermit crabs and a hamster…and a partridge in a pear tree!

By Cheryl Tallman and Joan AhlersIt is estimated that as many as one child in 80 is allergic to peanuts. For kids with a peanut allergy, sunflower butter is an excellent substitute for peanut butter. You can find sunflower butter at many natural foods stores. When selecting a brand, make sure to read the label, to ensure the sunflower butter in NOT processed in a plant that processes peanuts.

Even if your children are not allergic to peanuts, you might want to consider switching to sunflower butter because it is healthier than peanut butter. We think it tastes better, too. Try making these sunshine wraps, and let your kids be the judge.

Ingredients for each wrap:
2 tablespoons sunflower butter
1 tablespoon apple, grated
1 tablespoon carrots, grated
1 tablespoon raisins
1 whole wheat tortilla

Directions:
Spread sunflower butter on the tortilla, Sprinkle the top with apples, carrots and raisins. Roll up and serve.

Variations and optional additions: shredded coconut, chopped dates, banana rounds, drizzle of honey, sliced turkey, chopped celery, chopped onion, mini marshmallows, bacon crumbles, or anything else that sounds good!

Produce Corner: Sunflower Seeds
Sunflowers are one of Mother Nature’s wonderful gifts. This brilliant yellow flower that towers high above other plants in the garden bares seeds that are delicious and nutritious. The sunflower is native to North America. In fact, Native Americans considered sunflower seeds an important, high-energy food source. They introduced them to the Spanish explorers who brought them back Europe where they also became very popular.

Sunflower seeds are called a “nutrient-rich” food, this means that they provide substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals for relatively few calories. With the new 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommending Americans eat fewer calories, these types of foods are quite popular for the obvious reason – you get more of the good stuff with less of the heavy stuff.

Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of “good” fats, both mono and poly unsaturated. Most of the fat in your diet should come from these two types of fat (the most common sources are seeds, nuts, and fish). Sunflower seeds are the best whole food source of vitamin E, an important nutrient needed to prevent heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and dementia. They are also rich in fiber. Most Americans consume only half of the fiber they need each day. A fiber-rich diet will reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Magnesium is another important nutrient that many Americans lack, but is also found in Sunflower seeds. Some research shows that higher intakes of magnesium could reduce your risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

If you are looking for a simple, healthy snack, enjoy a handful of mild nutty tasting sunflower seeds. But don’t stop there, you can also get the healthy benefits of sunflower seeds in buttery smooth sunflower butter, and in sunflower oil.

Age to introduce: Around 2-3 years old. Both sunflower seeds and sunflower butter are a choking hazard for very little children.

Sunflower seeds for the family
At the market: Sunflower seeds are sold in the shell or shelled. Because they are high in fat, sunflower seeds are susceptible to becoming rancid; shop at a store where there is a rapid turnover in bulk products and check the expiration date on packaged items. Sunflower butter is sold in many natural products stores and is usually located where you will find peanut butter. Sunflower oil is available in most supermarkets and you’ll find it with other vegetable oils.

Storage: Sunflower seeds can spoil easily, because of their high fat content. They are best stored in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator or freezer. For storing sunflower butter and oil, follow the manufacturer directions on the package.

It’s easy to add sunflower seeds to your family’s meals:
Sprinkle them on yogurt, oatmeal, cold cereal, or ice cream
Top a salad or pita sandwich with them for lunch
Toss a handful of seeds in tuna or chicken salad
Add ½ cup of seeds to muffin, pancake, or cookie batters
Snack on trail mix made with sunflower seeds, granola, and dried blueberries

Thanksgiving Salad
This colorful salad is a perfect starter or compliment to your Thanksgiving dinner. It has everything you need – color, texture, and taste!

Dressing:
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Salad:
9-12 oz baby spinach, washed and dried
½ cup canned beets, drained, sliced or julienned
½ cup mandarin oranges, drained
¼ cup feta or blue cheese, crumbled
¼ cup sunflower seeds

Dressing: Combine all ingredients in an airtight container, cover and shake. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Dressing can be made a day ahead).

Just before serving, shake dressing and pour about ½ the dressing over the spinach. Toss gently until spinach is coated. Taste, and add additional dressing, if needed. Divide spinach onto 4-6 salad plates or spread spinach over a large serving platter for buffet or family-style dining. Arrange beets, oranges, cheese and sunflower seeds on the top of the spinach salad bed.

Sunflower Butter:
You can replace peanut butter with sunflower butter in all of your favorite recipes. However, when cooking with sunflower butter, reduce the amount baking powder or baking soda, or add a little lemon juice to the recipe. Otherwise, the sunflower butter will turn a green color.

Sunflower butter dipping sauce
This is a terrific Asian inspired dipping sauce that is perfect to serve with fresh or grilled veggies, grilled meats and tofu, or just toss a few tablespoons with cooked ramen noodles for a simple side dish.

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
¼ cup minced onion
½ teaspoon fish sauce or soy sauce
¼ cup water
½ cup sunflower butter
½ cup coconut milk
¼ teaspoon salt
Dash of red pepper flakes

Directions:
Place ingredients in a bowl and blend together until smooth. Refrigerate. Sauce will thicken in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature.

About the Authors
Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children, and founders of Fresh Baby. Raised by parents who love fresh foods and entertaining, their mom, a gourmet cook, ensured that they were well-equipped with extraordinary skills in the kitchen. Both with long track records of business success, they decided to combine their skills in the kitchen with their knowledge of healthy foods and children to create Fresh Baby. Cheryl and Joan put a modern twist on the conventional wisdom that when you make it yourself, you know it’s better. Their goal at Fresh Baby is to make the task of raising a healthy eater a little bit easier for all parents. Fresh Baby’s breastfeeding accessories and baby food making supplies provide parents with practical knowledge and innovative tools to support them in introducing their children to great tasting, all-natural foods – easily and conveniently. Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly ideas, tips and activities for developing your family’s healthy eating habits!

By Cheryl Tallman and Joan AhlersA festive drink for the Holiday season. One the whole family will love.

Ingredients:
1 pear peeled, cored and cut in chunks
1 cup of egg nog (dairy or soy)
2 ice cubes cracked
Dash of cinnamon

Directions:
Place all ingredients in blender. Blend at high speed for 15 seconds. Makes 2-3 kid-size servings, or 1 1/2 cups.

About the Authors
Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children, and founders of Fresh Baby. Raised by parents who love fresh foods and entertaining, their mom, a gourmet cook, ensured that they were well-equipped with extraordinary skills in the kitchen. Both with long track records of business success, they decided to combine their skills in the kitchen with their knowledge of healthy foods and children to create Fresh Baby. Cheryl and Joan put a modern twist on the conventional wisdom that when you make it yourself, you know it’s better. Their goal at Fresh Baby is to make the task of raising a healthy eater a little bit easier for all parents. Fresh Baby’s breastfeeding accessories and baby food making supplies provide parents with practical knowledge and innovative tools to support them in introducing their children to great tasting, all-natural foods – easily and conveniently. Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly ideas, tips and activities for developing your family’s healthy eating habits!

by Dr. Clare Albright

1. Give your child a spray bottle of water and watch them spray every possible thing outside of the house!
2. Use shaving cream in the bathtub for extra fun. It is usually possible to find cans of shaving cream that cost only a dollar each.
3. Remember that Barney dolls, Sesame Street dolls, and the like are as real to your child as any other person that they have met. Respect their relationship with their ‘cloth’ friends.
4. Buy a small pet, such as a frog, lizard, goldfish, bunny, hamster, etc. Toddlers need something to love. A pet will add much more stimulation to your child’s life than any other toy will.
5. Replace your child’s stroller with the wagon for outings to the park, the mall, etc. Wagons can make both toddlers and their parents very happy. Wagons are symbolic of you and your child making it through the baby stage and entering the world of “big kids.”
6. Teach your toddler to march to the beat of “one-two-three-four!” while the two (or more) of you play your instruments. Your child will never want this marching band game to end!
7. Make a sandbox out of a large plastic container for your child to play in. If you put the container outside, covering it will keep the cats from mis-using your new toy.
8. Build towers together with blocks. Your child will learn about spatial relationships, balance, etc.
9. When using Play-Doh with your child, show them how to make little snowmen, snakes, etc,. since it is difficult for their little fingers to mold clay at this developmental stage.
10. Set up finger painting in an empty bathtub with your child wearing only a diaper. This can make finger painting a much less stressful activity for a parent.

About The Author
This piece was written by Dr. Clare Albright, Psychologist and Parenting Coach, and author of “100 Tips for Parents of Two Year Olds”, which can be downloaded for only $5.77 from www.ParentsOfTwoYearOlds.com

by Rayven Perkins

This horrible, debilitating disease can transform even the kindest, sweetest children into horrible thoughtless monsters!

Has this ever happened to you?

• You walk into the grocery store with your little angel by your side. She asks if she may please have a box of Starry Fish Gummy Fruit Snacks, and when you say, “Not today honey,” your princess transforms into a screaming, raging beast, stomping her foot, shrieking loudly, accompanied by fake sobs. Spectators look on, wondering how you could be so cruel.
• You take your children to visit their 97 year old Great Aunt Thelma. She is bedridden in a nursing home, and just as soon as she appropriately pinches both their cheeks, they simultaneously chime “What’d ya get us?”
• Your teenage daughter has three dressers in her room. Her closet is overflowing and she has overtaken the closet in the guest bedroom. It’s time for school. You ask what is taking so long for her to get ready. She replies “It’s just not fair. I don’t have any clothes.”
• You scour the stores at Christmas looking for a Go-Go Rabbit Power Hero – the toy of the year – for your seven year old son. After waiting in line for eight hours, you are pushed out of the way by a throng of desperate parents. Finally exhausting all other options, you pay $200 for one on eBay. On Christmas morning, your son opens his package and promptly tosses it aside. “I wanted to red one,” he complains.
• Your children have boxes and boxes of toys laying about their room that they don’t play with. Yet every time they find themselves in a store, they whine and moan about how they “Never get anything” and how “We don’t have anything nice to play with”.

Does any of this sound familiar? Your children may be suffering from a common affliction know as: The Gimmes. This disorder is brought on by having Too Much. It rears its ugly head at the most inopportune times, usually in front of family members or the general public, causing a second-hand effect of acute embarrassment for the parent.

Never fear! There is a cure!
The only cure for The Gimmes is Less. Yes, that’s right; in this case, Less is More. Get rid of 75-90% of their toys and clothes. In addition for providing relief to The Gimmes, you will notice a remarkable difference in the cleanliness of said room and your children will experience an increased desire to play with the remaining toys. All this, because they can finally find them!

Don’t Buy Off-Season
Stop purchasing little toys and trinkets for your children between holidays. Give your children a small allowance instead, and make it clear that they are responsible for buying these items. The Gimmes clear up quickly when a child needs to spend his own money!

Purchase Less on Holidays
Keep your holiday gift giving simple. Only purchase 1-3 items per child for each gift giving occasion. Children become over-stimulated when presented with too many options, and receiving gifts is no exception. Between the gifts you give and the ones friends and family members give your child, it is easy for a child to confuse the gift itself with the thrill of getting. This is the root cause of The Gimmes.

Your family can overcome this. Your child can become a respectable, caring individual who doesn’t place his needs above everyone else’s. You can beat this disease. We’re all rooting for you!

About the Author
Rayven Perkins is an expert at saving money at home. She has spent 7 years finding and implementing unique cost-cutting tips that allow her family to live comfortably as a one-income family. Her site http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com examines resources and tips on Reducing Expenses, Stretching Your Dollar, and Supplementing Income in order to stay a SAHM