Tuesday 30 August 2016

Raising confident kids... training begins at home!

I have a lovely eight year old daughter who according to her teachers is amongst the most confident kids of her school.When somebody says good remarks like this about your kid, you surely feel elated but raising a confident kid and a kid that has her opinion at a tender age is not a piece of cake. 
                                                    Image courtesy: freedigitalphotos.net

You have to be patient, at times harsh too when a kid doesn't listen to you and values her opinion more but later, when you think about it, you feel proud too that your kid is confident and not hesitant which will not make her solely dependent on other kids to make her decisions.

I seriously believe that the starting years of a child's life are crucial in giving him utmost strength and confidence which will last for lifetime . In my case, the first four years were very calm and loving both for my daughter and me. Then the tantrums started when her father  had to go abroad for four months. She would ask me to take her daily to bookshop to buy her favourite book. Time passes quickly but the thing you ahould never let go is patience and while I say this, I know that completely  never letting it go is an arduous  task.

The 6-8 age group is pivotal in the sense that kids no longer consider them as little children . They think that now they can do anything but the best thing about this age group is that they still need you for reading bedtime story, for tucking them in bed and for hugging . My daughter can now get ready for herself but still she needs me for her hairdo and I love it. Everyone of us shout or get angry at our kids at sometime but these moments go away so quickly as time passes and then kids don't need us for little things. I read somewhere that if you listen to them today, they will listen to you  tomorrow and that is 100 % accurate. We as parents have to be patient today in order to let our kids grow as patient and confident  individuals tomorrow.

Allowing kids as small as 5 years to choose their own bed sheet or wall colour also instills in them the confidence that they can take decisions. One thing more which gives sheer confidence is parents' support. If a kid knows that his parents would listen to him and support no matter what, then he would never be afraid of others.

Sunday 7 August 2016

What to shop for a winter baby?


Shopping for a newborn seems fun and ofcourse it has to be because a new life comes into the world who becomes more important than anything else in the world . Feeders, sterlizer ,baby cot, car seat, carry cot , stroller and a bouncer are on every pqrent's list but apart from these, there are lots of things which have to be bought before a baby arrives.

Taking care of a newborn is not a piece of cake and especially if he is a winter baby. Protecting baby from the chilly winter is what every parent wants to do  and the first thing which comes into mind is buying lots of clothes but the trickier part is babies outgrow the clothes  very quickly.Many people are also big fans of fleece rompers and sheets but if you ask me, I would never ever wrap my baby in a fleece sheet because although they seem warm , some babies are allergic to it: both my babies had rashes on their skin after being  wrapped in fleece sheets and my sister 's daughter had it too.

So  of you ask me , there are some Do's and Don'ts  of a winter baby's shopping

Do buy
  • 3-5 pairs of socks
  • 2 pairs of mittens
  • A sleeping bag ( it helps a lot especially on doctor's visits)
  • 2-3 Wrapping sheets
  • At least five bibs 
  • 4-5 sweaters ( because babies spit a lot and on some days, you might be needing more than one sweater )
  • At least 3 bodysuits
  • 3 woollen vests
  • 3-4 onesies ( because babies outgrow quickly)
  • 3-4 full sleeve shirts
  • 3-4 soft but warm pyjamas
  • 3-4 cotton caps( I'm not a big fan of woollen caps as some babies are allergic to wool but one woollen cap is must incase you have to take the baby out)
  • Baby's blanket
  • Baby's comforter
  • Pillow
  • 3-4 Changing sheets 
  • A bath tub or a bath seat
  • A baby bag
  • Pampers and wipes are a must ofcourse
  • Baby lotion , baby oil , baby shampoo plus a nappy rash cream
Don't buy
  • Fleece sheets 
  • Too much of 0-3 months stuff as some babies might need 3-6 months in a 1-2 month span of time
  • More than 2 packs of zero size pampers ( as I have said earlier that babies grow quickly in the beginning months )
  • Toys and rattles for the beginning two months as your baby wouldn't be noticing much at this stage

Monday 1 August 2016

Starting solids .. What to give and what not to give?

My baby just turned 7 months and it has been one month since I started solids. As he is my second baby, so of course experience comes along .

With my first baby, I gave rice Cerelac as the first food. This time I knew I am not going to do this as rice Cerelac gives the worst constipation to babies. I decided that this time I am not even going to touch Cerelac boxes ; infact I am going to give him fresh home food but soon after I discovered that he likes only yogurt and custard and these foods are not going to give him enough nutrition : he also needs a balanced food like Cerelac.

I did lots of experiments and made plenty of fruit and vegetable purees the first time I became mom but I realised soon that vegetables give babies colic and sometimes does not just suit them. People say you are relaxed when you become mom for second time but I have become more cautious and think a lot before introducing anything new to my seven month old.So this time I have only given him custard, yogurt , bread pudding and  Cerelac since there are no teeth now.

This time I am satisfied as far as vitamin d intake is concerned as the doctor has given my baby vitamin d drops. They help a lot in making baby's bones strong especially in babies that are breastfed. During my daughter's time, doctor missed it and the result was that my daughter started sitting at 10 months and walking at 1.4 years which is a little late as compared to other kids.

6-12 months of age is the most adorable as babies reach so many milestones in such a short time and you as a parent also get to know so much.Looking forward to posting more about such topics . Happy reading !