Table of Contents
Introduction
My first child had the good grace to arrive at the end of May, so I was able to wheel him to the city park almost daily. For him there was fresh air and sunshine for me there were other new mothers on the park bench. It didnt take me long to discover that their babies also changed their waking schedules frequently, leaked from their diapers and were fussy in the evenings when we new parents longed for private time. To my relief I found out that I didnt have the only child who had not read the current books on childcare. What I expected, often the babies did not care about. And I learned that other new parents were a wonderful source of information. It was in the age before the internet and social networks but our connecting needs were the same.
In my first book, FEED ME IM YOURS, I simply wanted to share the making baby food ideas that worked for me and others. My subsequent books followed in the same view: the desire to share what really works for parents. This book is a collection of the best of childcare tips to make the first five years with your children easier and more fun. Saving time and money comes into play also.
I now have the joy of being a grandmother and watching my son and his wife take care of their children. My role is different now but Im still learning.
People often ask me what my favorite tip is. Its usually the last one I heard that was new for me and made me say, But of course, why didnt I think of that?
Updating this book has been so interesting. We no longer have answering machines but we have voice mail. Gone are VCRs, audio tapes; welcome Skype, social networks and e-mail.
This book is packed full of great ideas, so it is important to remember the most important tip of all:
There is no way you can do can do every tip in this book. Trying them all could lead to a nervous breakdown or, at the very least, an intense case of guilt!
Vicki Lansky
www.Facebook.com/practicalparentingtips
www.Wikipedia/Vicki Lansky
There are times when parenthood seems like nothing but feeding the mouth that bites you.
Peter DeVries
Chapter 1
New Baby Care
Having a baby is like entering a long tunnel. You cant see the end and you wonder what youve gotten yourself into. You emerge five years later having had less sleep than you might have wished, but thinking it wasnt that rough after all. The difficult days become difficult to remember.
Despite the newness of caring for your first baby, it wont take long to become an old hand at baby care. Babies dont arrive with attached instructions, but they do express their needs loud and clear. Luckily, they dont realize that everything you do is just as new for you as it is for them. Whew!
Dont worry if you dont feel overwhelming love for your infant immediately. It often takes time, perhaps months, for real parental love to develop. Relax and enjoy the developing bond between you and your baby.
Spreading the News
Take advantage of a computer by sending out e-mail announcements and photos. Plus it is faster and cheaper.
Turn your favorite baby photo into a postcard or note card to use as an announcement or thank-you note. Your local store can make them for you or you can order them online.
Use a fabric marker to write your babys name, birth date, weight, and length on the front of a single color outfit or onesie. Photograph your baby wearing the outfit, and send copies as birth announcements.
Imprint your babys foot on paper cards using a non-toxic ink pad. The cards will make lovely announcements or thank-you notes.
Planning a new baby gathering? Ask everyone to just bring a new baby hand-me-down as a gift. It will help everyones budget.
Your New Baby and You
Amid the flurry that follows the birth of a baby, its important to remember that everyone has adjustments to make. If its your first child, youll have new roles to try out. If you have other children, their positions in the family will be changed overnight, too.
Along with the excitement and costs comes stress and fatigue. Youre apt to demand a great deal of yourself, which can take its toll on those around you. Take care of your personal needs so you can help others take care of theirs. Be especially good to your partner during his time, and put off any big decisions, if possible.
Adjusting to Your New Life
Buy or make a DO NOT DISTURB sign, and hang it on your door whenever necessary. Or create a personalized sign such as Shhhh! Baby and Mom are Resting!
Turn your phone ringer off when you dont want to hear it. To avoid answering the phone when you dont want to, record the details of your baby birth on your voice mail or direct people to a social networking page. There you can post a video of the baby and parents.
Make an effort to createparents only time each day. Maybe someone can watch the baby while you take a walk around the block.
Use paper plates and cups to minimize housework, or have a helper do the dishes. This is not the time to prove you can do it all and that nothing has changed.
Accept support from friends and relatives who have had babies. Become involved in community parent groups.
A baby is Gods opinion that the world should go on.
Carl Sandburg
Feeding Your Baby
One of the reasons babies spend so much time eating is their stomachs are only the size of their fists. Consuming a lot of milk at one time just isnt possible.
If youre breastfeeding, the first rule is to relax. Find a quiet place away from distractions, and DONT WATCH THE CLOCK. Your baby doesnt.
If Dad or your partner feels left out, there are plenty of things to be done, such as changing diapers, bathing your baby, and bringing your baby to you for feedings. Some parents decide to give their baby one bottle of formula or expressed breast milk a day, to let Mom get some needed sleep or a chance to get out of the house. If you use powdered infant formula, its easy to mix one bottle at a time.
Dressing Comfortably for Breastfeeding
Use a front-buttoning nightgown or one with concealed slits. Bring one with you to the hospital. PJs work well too.
Wear a stretch bra that can be lifted up for nursing. Some women buy nursing bras before they go to the hospital, getting a size larger (and a cup size larger) than what they wore during pregnancy, but this doesnt work for every woman. Consider buying a bra extender in a sewing notions department for the extra give you may need.
To prevent leaks from soaking through your bra cups, use soft handkerchiefs, three or four layers cut from an undershirt, two-to-three inch circles of terry cloth stitched together, or a sanitary napkin or a diaper cut to fit. Half a panty liner may be all you need. Nursing pads and other commercial products are also available.
Wear printed tops to make stains less visible if you leak.
