Category Archives: Toddlers

5 Things you never knew about your baby!

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By Adeline Woo

As parents, sometimes we tend to overlook the simplest things in life. When we have a new born, one would think we pay more attention to our child but here are 5 things that we never realize!

breathing

1) Babies take more breaths than adults. 

If any parent out there realized this, kudos to you! However, there is no need to worry because according to Orgeon’s Health and Science University, a baby’s normal breathing rate is about 40 times per a minute while us adults only breath between 12 and 20 times a minute.

crying

2) Newborn Babies don’t shed tears.

You’d probably go, what nonsense is this? But it’s true! If you observe a newborn closely when he/she is crying, you’d realize that there are no tears. Why? Although the tear ducts and glands are working, they produce just enough tears to lubricate and protect your baby’s eyes. But you’ll soon realize that those teardrops will start to flow between 1 and 3 months.

peacefully sleeping

3) Babies can Crawl as soon as they are Born. 

We’re not pulling your leg here! In 1987 the Karolinska Institute in Sweden compiled the findings of  their study on the “Breast Crawl”. When the baby was dried and laid on a mother’s chest immediately after birth they were able to find her chest for feeding within an hour. Pretty impressive don’t you think?

baby's ear

4) Newborns Recognize Mom’s Voice At Birth

I’m sure every mum is pleasantly pleased upon reading this! When a baby is born, their hearing isn’t a 100% up to par yet because the middle ear is still full of fluid which tends to impair the hearing somewhat. The one sound they are able to recognize is the sound of mama’s voice. They respond to this sound above all others.

baby are nearsighted

5) All Newborns Are Nearsighted 

This might explain why all newborn babies like to grab things and bring it up to their face! Newborn babies are very nearsighted and their vision only allows them to see people and objects at their clearest when they are within 8 to 12 inches away. 

3 New (and Surprising!) Dangers to Children

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By Adeline Woo

Think you’ve “child-proofed” your home? Think again!

Here are 3 surprisingly common things at home that are actually hazardous to your child.

 

1. Bottles, pacifiers and sippy cups.

Almost all my friends who are moms use pacifiers to keep their babies calm and secure.  But these objects can actually be a danger to them, according to an article in the journal Pediatrics.   The journal reported these comfort objects having caused cuts, bruises and other injuries serious enough to send 45,398 children under age 3 to the nation’s emergency rooms between 1991 and 2010.

In 86 percent of the cases, the kids were injured when they fell while holding the object. Most of the children studied suffered facial cuts as a result, and about 70 percent were hurt on or near their mouths, the study found. Others suffered soft tissue or dental injuries.

Time to take away that pacifier?  That’s easier said than done. A 2011 Canadian study found that 86 percent of children ages 1 to 2 still use sippy cups. And a 2008 study in the United Kingdom found that more than 18 percent of toddlers were still using pacifiers at age 3.

Nonetheless, persistence is the key! I would recommend removing the pacifier when your baby is moving about, to reduce the risk of them falling and getting hurt on their mouths due to the pacifier.

 

2. Batteries

When we child-proof your house, you take care of cabinets, corners, outlets, and toilets.  What you probably don’t think about is all the electronics around your house that have batteries in them.

Every three hours a child shows up in a U.S. emergency room with a battery that’s been swallowed or placed in the mouth, ears or noses.

The worst culprits are “button batteries,” which account for almost 85 percent of the ER visits. You find those in everything from electronic devices to toys to remote controls and watches. But just about any batteries are dangerous, both because they’re choking hazards and because their chemicals can actually burn through a child’s esophagus.

Do consider taping battery compartments and keeping them closed, so children can’t get to the batteries inside.

 

3. Hand Sanitizers

As a first time mom, i used ALOT of hand sanitizer lotion whenever I am handling my baby.  Now that my baby is all grown up, I encourage her to use it, too.  After all, there are some icky germs out there.

But, alas, this is yet another danger to our children. Why? Because of the active ingredient in hand sanitizers – Alcohol. Yes, it’s the same alcohol that we consume in beverages.

The YouTube world is abuzz with videos of teens drinking hand sanitizers to get high.

“If you drink hand sanitizer, you can consume 62 percent alcohol, you can pass out, you could even die,” says the health teacher at one Kansas school that is warning parents about this epidemic.

In short, whether your child is sixteen months or sixteen years, it’s probably best to keep the hand sanitizer lotions in check.

So there you go, 3 new dangers around the house to add to your list.

Time to start taking a good look around your “child-proofed” house again!

 

Source: http://www.parentsociety.com

 

Dealing with your Toddler’s Tantrum

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By Adeline Woo

tantrum

As a mother, I know how painful it is to deal with a toddler’s tantrum and how many a times I desperately wanted a miracle remote control to appear where I could just shut all the loud whines, screams and cries coming from a tiny body. Unfortunately, no matter how much I wished for it, there isn’t such a thing.

So fellow mothers, rest assure for you’re definitely not alone in this. As much as I wish, I dare not say that I have the perfect solution on how to deal with a toddler’s tantrum. However, I do have some tips and advice to share with you that might prevent your toddler from having a 10 minutes long tantrum or to quickly end their tantrum.

  1. Ignorance is bliss. Ignoring your toddler when they are screaming and shouting might seem like the least motherly thing to do but trust me, it works. Tantrums usually occur when the child is frustrated, upset or unsatisfied with the situation and expresses it through a a tantrum – a negative way of demanding your attention. You could entertain the toddler and give in however in the long run the toddler will know that by getting what he/she wants, all the toddler has to do is cry or throw a tantrum. Of course, that being said, if the toddler is doing a positive thing and would like your attention, you should give the toddler your attention and commend the actions at times even though they probably don’t understand what you’re saying.
  2. Understanding is key. Understand why your toddler is throwing a tantrum may sometimes be the fastest solution to ending the tantrum. Is your toddler hungry? Is your toddler tired? Perhaps it was in an extremely position or the sun was glaring in the toddler’s face while he/she was in the stroller and you weren’t aware. Bottom line is, finding the solution and understanding why the toddler was throwing a tantrum would aid you in better dealing the next tantrum. Yes, there will be a next tantrum.
  3. Keep Calm and Carry On. Just like what the Brit’s say. Being a mum is not an easy feat but it’s a very endearing and heartwarming journey. Everyone makes mistakes and falters in between – no mum is perfect. So don’t beat yourself up and/or question your mothering abilities just because you’re unable to deal with your toddler’s first few tantrums. Just keep calm and carry on because once your toddler passes the tantrum phase, things will be better and when you look back, you can pat yourself on the back for doing a great job enduring that insane time of your life especially.
  4. Golden Rewards. Remember to reward your child when he/she is on a good behavior. It helps reduce the tantrums as your child is aware of what makes mummy and daddy happy and at the same time what makes him/her happy. For example, stickers for his/her sticker book collection.

I hope this helps all the (new) mothers out there and do feel free to share your problems, issues or advice that you face with your new born, toddler or child.

 

Much love,

Adeline Woo