The first thing parents should do is not to over worry about baby shoes issue. It is strongly recommended that babies till the age of two should walk barefoot. The reason being given is strengthening of muscles and enhancing his balance. Don’t try to force baby to wear shoes. That way, baby will find it even more cumbersome. If the child wants to be barefoot, let him be. Keep your home clean and have a close eye on dangerous objects so that child does not hurt himself. Keep supervising him closely and encourage him to walk on different surfaces like marble, grass and sand.

While you start hunting for right kind of shoes, keep few things in mind. The most important factor should be a soft sole. Shoes with hard sole are going to give trouble to your baby so get a pair that has soft and thin sole. Child’s feet keep growing so it is very imperative you buy shoes that has soft material and is very comfortable. Go for canvas or leather shoes instead of synthetic shoes. Also look for the flexibility of the shoes. Flexible shoes are very important for comfortable walking of child. Keep the shoe design simple and focus more on comfort factor.

A new born baby cannot do anything by himself. But he is definitely learning all the time. For example he is learning to control his neck muscles, his head muscles and his ends. Till he turns three months old there are a couple of exercises you can help him do.
First of all, try the knee bend exercise. Take your infant’s feet and tenderly push his knees to his stomach. Then unbend his knees and push them back to his stomach again. Continue doing this. After repeating this a few times, you may observe that your baby begins to push back at you. This is all right; however don’t force his legs to bend.

The next exercise would help your baby lift his head. Lay your child straight, adjacent to your shoulder. In this pose, your baby can try raising his head, even if only for a second or two. You should give him good support along his back so he cant fall doesn’t fall down backwards.

The next exercise can help babies of all ages. Place your child, facing downwards on a comparatively firm surface. You can use foam floor mats for this exercise. Maybe during the first few months your baby won’t do react to this position, but as he grows a little older, he will try to turn his head from one side to other. He will also try lifting it up. In due course, he will push himself up on his forearms to look around.

Some of the names for boys are: Adarsh, Aadil, Asim, Abaan, Achintya, Abhiraj, Bhushan, Bankim, Chintan, Chaitanya, Daanish, Darpan, Ekansh, Feenil, Firoz, Gaurang, Gajrup, Harish, Harman, Ishaan, Idhant, Jenil, Jaival, Kirit, Karan, Luv, Manas, Nirav, Osman, Pushp, Ravneet, Raunak, Sangeet, Saurav, Soumya, Tarang, Tanvir, Urja, Utkarsh, Utpal, Vineet, Wadee, Yuvraj, Yatin, Zubin and Zeehan. Some of the names of girls are Adishti, Bansi, Bhavi, Chhavi, Charu, Dimple, Deepti, Eesha, Freny, Gautami, Hetvi, Ishaani, Jhanvi, Kaajal, Kanan, Kamini, Laveena, Lipika, Manaswi, Mrinalini, Neha, Namita, Nainika, Ojasvi, Priyanka, Prerna, Raveena, Riya, Rajul, Sneha, Taruni, Urvi, Varshika, Wafa, Yani, Yuvika and Zeena.

There is an entertaining anecdote that says babies in China are named as per the sound that a fallen spoon will make! Well, in India a name holds a lot of importance and often is influenced by religion, God and such other things. I have heard mothers saying I dreamt of Lord Shankar and hence names my baby Shankar!

Parents are worried when their children as old as two and more do not speak a word. Such children would not even show interest in what is being said or communicated to them. Parents and relatives try all possible efforts to make the child feel at ease so that they can say what fears are keeping their mouth shut. Sometimes, families ignore such situations considering that the child will talk soon and that he is just a late bloomer.

PDD affects the child’s ability to develop his or her communication and socialization skills. Some of the disorders that are categorized under PDD are: Autism, Rett syndrome Childhood disintegrative disorder, Asperger syndrome.Of these disorders, autism is a serious one. PDD does not affect an individual physically. A child suffering from a PDD can live a long and healthy life.

Some of the common symptoms of PDD are repetitive body movements, difficulty in understanding language and following instructions, inability to deal with changes or inability to adjust in a new environment, difficulty in doing normal tasks, unusual behavior with objects, inability to relate to people, preference to stay lonely etc.

PDD symptoms are usually overlooked under the perception of the child being a late bloomer. A pervasive developmental disorder can only be diagnosed by a qualified specialist. Hence the awareness of the same is what is more important so that parents can be alert and cautious.

There are many toys that have lead in it. It is harmful when children are exposed to lead and it is reported that nearly four million toys had lead content in them! Though there are strong measures that are now being adopted against toy manufactures, as parents try and avoid toys that you feel may have lead content in them.

Teddy bears and dogs are surely cute but the fur that is used in these toys can suffocate you kids. Avoid letting your child play with these toys for long hours. Also be careful about the loose parts that can easily come out of the dolls and the cars and be careful that your children do not put those things in mouth.

Also be careful of toys that have long strings or ropes because these toys pose the risk of the child strangulating himself or his friends. Such toys should be totally avoided especially if your child is a toddler.

In case your child is into reading books or seeing pictures in different books, make sure that the sharp edges of the books do not harm your child.

Also, the new trend is to give mobiles to children so that they can play with it and remain silent for hours. Not only are you risking the baby but the mobile as well!

Bonding with your child is not something that can happen in minutes but something that gradually happens throughout the baby’s life. Most parents don’t realize it until the baby responds to something they said or did with a smile and they can’t believe how happy that makes them.

There are various ways to bond with your baby. The most important of them is by physical contact. It is very important for your baby to feel physically secure and to sense the warmth of his/her parents. Babies are also keen observers of your expressions. They react to facial expressions and eye contact and try to imitate them at a very early stage. Furthermore, scientists state that babies prefer listening to human voices than to music or any other mode of sound. So the next time you think you are incapable of singing to your baby, think again!

Bonding with adopted children is often a question most parents ask. However, adopted babies can bond just like biological babies with their parent with a little patience and adjustment. An adopted baby has to be given some time for transition and to synchronize with the novel atmosphere and should be handled with extra care and composition.

It’s not just the mother who has to bond with her toddler but also the father. Nowadays fathers spend more time with their infants than they earlier did. Bonding is an intricate but special experience which happens progressively. As time passes by, and your bonding with the baby becomes stronger, both you and your spouse will realize the beauty of the relationship you share with your child.

Different babies have different sleeping patterns based on which parents have to in turn adjust their sleeping patterns. Babies usually get up in the night because they feel hungry. Usually premature babies feel hungrier thus they get up at night often. Babies usually are sensitive to the environment in the beginning hence they get up often to adjust themselves. Sometimes babies may even have an illness or an allergy due to which they get up and cry in the middle of the night. Baby sleep patterns and the number of hours will vary as they grow up. Some babies normally need less sleep during night and more during the day. However, over time, babies will learn to adjust according to the normal sleep timings.

New born babies take time to adjust to the sleeping patterns and this lasts till six months. Babies who are used to being fed in the night several times wake up because they usually feel hungry.

After three or four months babies do not need to be fed three to four times in the night. Mothers can feed the baby before going to sleep so that he or she doesn’t wake up and feel hungry at night.

Mothers also need to make sure that babies are eating enough during the day. Also, do not feed the baby at a small cry. Do not assume that every time the baby cries, he or she is hungry, that may not be the case. You can observe and understand whether the baby needs a nappy change, or even simply your attention apart from hunger.

Happenings @ Hansel & Gretel

Story Telling Session by Jeeva Raghunath

Enjoy an evening of fun and storytelling for kids by Jeeva Raghunath on Friday, March 6, 2009 at 6 p.m.

Craft Corner – Beginners Embroidery

Introduce your child to embroidery through a beginners class on basic stitches and designs.

7 years & above.  Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.—12:30 p.m.

Fun with Maths – Introduction to Division

Help your children learn division using practical examples. Brain tickling quizzes and worksheets will be used for assessment every week.   7 yrs—12 yrs.

Saturdays. 2 p.m.—4p.m.

Baby Bounce & RhymeTime

Filled with sessions that include action songs, story time, nursery rhymes and simple games, this program focuses on all-round development in young children.  Age:  1 – 2 ½ yrs.
Weekday & Weekend Batches.

Timings: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Effective English Series

Reading Workshop:

Enrich your child’s English language skills through reading practice with focus on fluency, pronunciation, expression, posture and eye contact.   Sundays.  3 p.m—5 p.m.  7 yrs—9 yrs

Creative Writing Workshop:

Unleash your child’s creative writing potential…This workshop will help young writers build their confidence, develop their creativity, improve their ability to build a cohesive story and have a lot of fun in the process!  Sundays.  1 p.m.—3 p.m.  9 yrs—12 yrs.

Summer Fun 2009

Public Speaking, English Enrichment, Story Time, Arts & Crafts, Drawing & Painting, Outdoor / Indoor games, Puzzles, Music and much more…

Rolling enrolment.

Apr 1 — Jun 12 2009

Half Day & Full Day Programs.

It’s a toy store in Delhi of international standards with quality toys and imaginative playthings for children…

A relief for mums and a playground for imagination for little ones.

We wish them best of luck…

If you are in Delhi, Do check it out:
 
Mama’s Little Donut
D 6, Soami nagar (north)
Panchsheel enclave
New Delhi 110017
ph: 011- 41749243

First a fall, notice all the changes in your baby’s mouth. You should in fact lift the lip and see the changes that have occurred. Visit a dentist if you notice something unusual.

Ask the dentist about fluoride which is an important mineral responsible for making strong teeth. It helps to fight cavities. There are many branded toothpastes in the market that do not contain fluoride in the right quantity. Hence ask your dentist to suggest good toothpaste for your little one. You may even want your child to be benefited from fluoride drops or tablets in case need arise. Confirm it with your dentist.

This recommendation may sound obvious but there are many parents who do not make their infant brush daily (twice a day)! Clean your baby’s teeth in the morning and at night before going to bed.

Special toothbrushes are available for cleaning infant gums. Use them along with a moist cloth for better cleaning. Limit the intake of sugar as they tend to cause cavities. After breast feeding, ensure that your child drinks a little water as milk left in the mouth can also cause cavities. All in all, regular dental check up can go a long way in keeping your infant’s teeth strong and healthy.

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