The Gift Of Personalized Baby Clothing

The birth of a baby is a joyful and momentous occasion – one that is shared with family and friends as we unite to welcome this new life. Part of the celebration of birth is often the gathering of loved ones for a baby shower – presenting the parents-to-be with gifts for their new family member. While many gifts are utilitarian in nature – and much needed – such as a car seat, changing table, or stroller, others are more personal in nature. Personalized baby clothing can be a lovely gift for a new baby and a keepsake for many years to come.

Personalized baby clothing can be described as any clothing that is monogrammed with the baby’s initials or full name. For those interested in purchasing personalized baby clothing, there are a great many options from which to choose; you are only limited by your imagination and budget.

Personalized baby clothing for a newborn can include anything from a hat with the baby’s initials sewn into the material to a receiving blanket beautifully stitched with the baby’s full name, birth date, birth time, and birth weight. Not only is this a useful item, but it will stand the test of time as a treasured keepsake for you and, eventually, your grown child.

You may also wish to consider monogrammed shirts, sweaters, towels, socks, diaper bags, even onesies. The more creative you are in your search for personalized baby clothing, the more cherished the gift will be for years to come.

Keep in mind, however, that personalized baby clothing cannot be simply handed down to another child once it has been outgrown; it serves its purpose for one child – albeit a dual purpose as an article of clothing and then as a keepsake item.

You can find personalized baby clothing in a number of different places including clothing boutiques for children. Most often you will choose the item that you want and the personalization will take place according to your instructions. Many times monogramming is free of charge.

The Internet is also a great place to find personalized baby clothing. The prices are usually affordable and the convenience of ordering from home can’t be beat.

Personalized baby clothing can be a wonderful way to welcome a new baby and present the parents with a timeless keepsake.

For easy to understand, in depth information about personalized baby clothing visit our ezGuide 2 Baby Clothing. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Bery

10 Easy Early Learning Activities for Babies and Toddlers

I have spent my career researching early learning in children and babies. My carefully designed programs have achieved remarkable results, teaching babies as young as six months to read. Now, anyone can quickly and easily put their child on the path to acquiring essential learning skills by following these proven activities:

1. Use Multi-Sensory Learning
When your child shows an interest in a particular topic, try to help them learn about it using as many sensory systems as possible. If your child is interested in learning about flowers, let them see, smell, touch, and even hear the gentle sound the flower makes brushing against their ear. This type of learning is usually more interesting for the child, and more effective.

2. Respond to Your Baby
An important skill for parents is the ability to respond to the interests of their infant. This will help them more easily understand their world. The baby looking at their toes could be told, “These are your toes.” This means the infant would simultaneously have visual (seeing her toes), auditory (listening to you say “these are your toes”), and haptic (feeling you touch her toes) information. This helps a young baby develop a very elaborate idea of “toes”. These types of responsiveness activities may also increase their IQ.

3. Categorize
A fundamental building block for intelligence is the ability to categorize. You can stimulate your child by grouping animals or objects that are similar. For instance, your child’s toys or clothes could be grouped by color, size, shape, material, or function. Simply show them and say, “This is a sock and this is a sock. This is not a sock.” Your baby should enjoy the activity because they will be able to see you sort the clothing, hear your voice, touch the soft clothing, and smell the clean clothes.

4. Improve Spatial Reasoning Abilities
Studies have shown that infants who self-locomote using a walker improve their spatial abilities. This improvement may be a result of infants’ increased attention to objects when they self locomote rather than being carried. Pediatricians recommend that parents not use walkers for safety reasons; however, in safe conditions, a walker can help improve an infant’s spatial abilities. Reading simple maps and playing with mazes can also improve your toddler’s spatial reasoning abilities.

5. Play Classical Music for Your Infant or Toddler
Play classical music for your infant or toddler on a regular basis. In a controlled study, young children who listened to classical music outperformed those who had not listened to classical music.

6. Learn a Second Language
It is easier for a young child to learn a second language than it is for adults. A recent study found that children who learned a second language after the age of 11 had two distinct areas of the brain for understanding language — one for their native language and one for their second language. Children who learned a second language before the age of four had one large area of the brain active for both languages. This suggests that children who learn language skills in their first years are able to develop brains that are more efficient.

7. Respond to Your Infant’s Sounds
If the parent responds excitedly to a baby’s new sound and repeats the sound to the baby, then the connection to make that sound will have some value to the infant and it will likely be strengthened. On the other hand, if the infant makes a new sound and no one responds — the baby will be less likely to repeat that sound. Not only does the infant probably feel more attached to caregivers who respond to their sounds, but they can learn to make more sounds when people respond.

8. Make Learning Videos for Your Child
Parents can make learning videos for their infants and toddlers. Be sure to include your family in the video. This will attract your child’s attention and allow them to see you even when you are away. You may want to include your child’s name and the words ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’ in your video.

9. Play Games!
Matching games are fun. Show your infant one item, for example a tennis ball. Next, show your baby several other objects and ask him/her to find the one that matches the first object. Talk with your child throughout the game and describe how the objects are the same or different. These fun games help the child learn more about object properties such as color, material, function, shape, etc.

10. Use Different Postures During Play
Allow your infant to play while in different postures and locations. Make soft, clean, safe areas for your baby to play while on its stomach, back, and seated. Set up these play spaces in different locations. Babies may practice lifting their heads or rolling over while on their stomachs. While on their backs, infants may play with activity gyms, practice rolling, or look at objects. It may be easier for infants to explore toys while in a bouncer.

Dr. Robert Titzer is a prominent professor and infant researcher. His award winning educational DVD program, “Your Baby Can Read!®”, published by Smart Kids® of Penton Overseas Inc., has produced remarkable results worldwide. For more information visit http://www.yourbabycan.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Robert_Titzer

Tips For Finding the Right Child Care Facility

In this modern day and age where you can find both parents working, you can expect their children to be spending a major part of their time in childcare. The early years of a child are considered the formative years, where they will be learning as much as they can absorb and developing certain skills. So your preference of childcare program will be a critical one. It is very important that you take your time in making your decision and that you visit as many childcare providers to select the best one most suited for your child’s needs.

When you visit a child day care facility or care provider’s home for instance, take a good look around the place and carefully observe the caregiver with the children. Feel free to ask as many questions as you like. Especially your concerns about your child’s safety here.

Examine if the caregiver is patient, warm and friendly. While a care provider may have such an impressive background and work experience, what is more important for parents is someone who is not there merely for the job but one who has passion for children and love that any parent would normally give to his or her child. The caregiver should also understand that your children will be developing skills during this crucial time and they must know what children basically need.

Go around the facility and see if it exudes a cheerful and happy environment. The facility or home should be clean and tidy with materials that are well organized and play toys or things that are within easy reach for children. Evaluate as well if it has all the necessary measures to guard your child’s safety, as children can be very curious most of the time and they may get their hands on dangerous objects like glassware, plugs, electric outlets, etc. The care provider should be able to provide you with explanations and detailed answers as to their safety procedures and precautionary measures.

The facility should also provide a daily schedule of varying activities and a schedule for outdoor play as well.

Try to interview parents who send their children to this particular facility and get their feedbacks. Before making any decision, let you child visit the facility to get a feel of the caregiver and the other children.

Now that you have decided on the childcare services, it is time to help your child adjust to childcare. This can be a very big step and your little one may need some help in adjusting to the new experience.

Talking to your child would prove to be helpful. Explain to your child carefully the necessity for him or her to stay at the facility because mommy and daddy have to work. It is important to assure your child that you will pick him or her up at the end of the day.

To help your child adjust, take him or her for a short visit to the facility before the big day drop-off. Let your child see where he or she will be playing with other children, doing activities and games, etc. Tell your child all about what he or she will typically be doing at day care.

When you leave your child at day care don’t sneak but instead it would help to do your usual daily goodbye routine that he or she has been used to. You can let your child bring along his or her favorite toy or stuffed animal. Familiarity will always make a child feel secure.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Child Care Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell