Mom Put Yourself in Timeout

Moms are prone to stress. With children, career, family and home to take care of, it is an occupational hazard. When the load gets too heavy, moms can really benefit from taking a few minutes out.

Sometimes moms need timeouts just like their kids. When kids throw a tantrum or have a bad attitude, we send them out to timeout. The purpose is to give them time to think about their actions and to calm down. For moms, the same thing can be appropriate when stress threatens to overtake us.

Kids will be kids. They spill things and break things. Yesterday, you were fine with that. Today, a little bit of spilled milk makes you want to cry. Before you get to the point of screaming over that spilled milk, find a place to hide — literally. You are a ticking time bomb.

If your spouse is in the house, tell them that you need a minute. Find a quiet corner and take several deep breaths. More oxygen to the brain will clear the cobwebs. Once you can think clearly, you may discover the reason for the crying.

For moms who are always trying to appear so stoic and perfect around everyone, you may just need a good cry. That’s okay too. Take a few moments and let it all out. Crying seems to relieve the pressure in our head. Crying doesn’t mean that you are sad. Maybe there are too many things on your plate and some of them need to be discarded.

Moms that are home by themselves with young kids can put them in the playpen or the crib and escape for a few minutes. If you are worried about leaving them alone, invest in a pair of headphones that block out noise. You can sit in the floor in the same room as the playpen and close your eyes. The baby may cry for a bit, but they will be okay. Take the time you need to deal with your stress.

Timeout can be as little as ten minutes or as much as thirty. Put a comfy chair or large throw pillow in the area where you will be spending timeout. This is not a punishment, so don’t treat yourself like you’ve done something wrong. Timeout is a preventative measure to keep stress from causing things to get worse.

While in timeout, everything stops. Don’t answer the telephone when it rings or get up when you remember that you didn’t take the roast out of the freezer to thaw. Instead, sit there and chill out. Consider your actions and how to handle the stress you are under.

Stress affects us all. Sometimes it comes too hard and too fast to deal with it properly. At these times, take a break and gather yourself together.

Raising Eco Friendly Kids

It seems today’s society is becoming totally apathetic to the world around them. Many children in particular are more concerned with playing the latest video game and don’t really pay much attention to the environment around them. It may seem hard to get your children to show an interest in the world around them, but you can get them to care if you start early and take small steps. You may not make a difference overnight, but you may just make a difference in the future of the planet.

The first step in raising your children to be eco friendly is to be eco friendly yourself. You can tell your children to be respect the environment all you want, but you’re not going to get anywhere if you don’t practice what you preach. You may not be Captain Planet, but you can start with small steps to get involved. Follow the practices of reducing, reusing, and recycling. Use natural and environmentally friendly products. Get involved with local organizations that help protect the environment.

Once you’re involved in eco friendly practices, start getting your kids to help as soon as you can. You can start out simple by having them put their own recyclables into the bin, or even have them ride along with you when you take your bin to the recycling center. You can have them help you build a compost pile, or just go shopping with you at the organic food store. When I was a child, my mom would get me to pick up trash that was lying around, and I still pick up trash I see to this day. Just remember to start small and work your way up to bigger steps.

The people who do the most to help the environment are the ones who know the most about it. That’s why it’s important to start your child learning about the world around them early. While you should do your best to teach them on your own, you can also get some help from the experts. Many zoos and nature centers offer educational classes for children as young as three years old. These can be a valuable resource in helping small children start to learn about the environment and to expand their knowledge as they get older.

Get your child involved in volunteering. If you work or volunteer for an environmental activist group, get your children involved as soon as they are old enough. Many areas offer volunteer organizations for teens and young adults. The first place to look is with the places where you found classes for young children. The most important part is that your child gets involved on a larger scale than just within your family. This also helps them meet other people their age who also care about environmental issues.

While children will inevitably be resistant to volunteering and doing extra work or chores at some point or another, they will still gain an appreciation for their environment that will last their whole lives.

How to Calm Crying Baby Naturally

Nothing can be more nerve racking for a parent than the wail of a baby who can’t be comforted. You can lose a lot of sleep and at some points come close to losing your sanity. While everyone has their own ideas for raising children one of the best things you can do for your baby is calm them naturally. Here is some information to help you finally calm your baby.

Many parents and doctors will tell you to just leave your baby alone when they are crying. The philosophy is that if no one comes to help the baby, they will learn to “self soothe”. The truth is small babies don’t have the emotional capabilities to self soothe. Yes, the baby will stop crying eventually, but only because it feels it has been abandoned and has given up on seeking help. A baby who isn’t comforted when they cry believes their parents no longer care. This can destroy the parental bond and the child’s self esteem. Letting a baby “cry it out” may not always be the best option.

On the other hand, your psychological health matters too. There’s bound to be the occasional time that you can’t take it anymore and no one is around to help you. If you feel you’ve reached your breaking point, it’s all right to take a break from your child for a few minutes while you regroup. If your child knows you’re coming back eventually, they will be less likely to feel abandoned.

The best way to learn to soothe your crying baby is to get to know them. Most of the time, the child is crying because something is wrong; they’re hungry, tired, grumpy, sick, bored, or have one of a multitude of other needs, and every one of these problems has a different cry. If you spend time with your baby and listen carefully, you should be able to distinguish one cry from another. You should for other cues such as facial expressions and body language. The sooner you learn to interpret your child’s crying, the sooner you’ll be able to satisfy their needs.

Sometimes, babies don’t really have anything wrong with them and are just plain upset. Here are a few suggestions for calming a fussy baby:

* Play music. Many babies may also be soother by you singing to them or to simple white noise.

* Use Lavender. It is known to have natural calming properties; you could put it in their bath, bedroom, laundry, or almost anywhere that the soothing vapors will be able to comfort them.

* Use the 5 S’s. Swaddling, laying the baby on its Side or Stomach, Shhing, Swinging them in a mechanical swing or your arms, and offering a breast or pacifier to Suck on will trigger the baby’s natural calming reflex and help them relax.

* Distract them. Try to offer him his favorite toy or make quiet baby talk. You may be able to get him to forget he was upset in the first place.

* Give your baby a massage. A massage can be just as relaxing for your baby as it is for you. Be very gentle with your touch.

If you’ve tried these and other remedies, but your baby still won’t stop crying, you should take them to the pediatrician just in case. They may have something simple (but annoying), like colic, but it’s best to be sure that it’s not something more serious.

How to Choose the Right Cloth Diapers

When we were kids, our moms had one choice for cloth diapers. It involved folding, pins, plastic covers, and a lot of frustration. Many of us have simply switched to disposable diapers because they’re more convenient. Well, most cloth diapers today are not only convenient, they’re also more attractive and sometimes work better than disposable. The key to using and sticking with cloth diapers is choosing the one that works best for you. Here are some of the cloth diaper options on the market.

* All-in-Ones. These are basically cloth versions of disposable diapers. They come in once piece and require no inserts or outer coverings; they’re already built in. You can also get wool versions of these that have a softer cover layer. These diapers are great for busy parents, but you may have cleaning problems because you have to wash them as one piece.

* All-in-Twos. These are just like all-in-ones except the absorbent layer is an extra piece that fits in the diaper. They are almost as convenient, but they’re more hygienic because it’s easier to clean the inserts.

* Fitted Diapers. These look a lot like plastic diapers because they are fitted at the edges to prevent leaks. Unlike all in ones, they do require a diaper cover. You can also get contour diapers that are shaped to fit the baby, but not elasticized to fit tight.

* Flat and Prefold Diapers. These are basically old fashioned diapers. Many have been made more convenient using snaps instead of pins, but they still require folding and aren’t fitted. Prefold diapers provide extra layers of fabric for better absorption. While these may seem archaic, they’re the cheapest option for cloth diapering.

* Pocket Diapers. These diapers are similar to two-in-ones because you can add your own inserts, but instead of sitting in the diaper, the inserts are put into a special pocket. This is great if you need varying levels of protections and absorbency. Another great feature is that you can use almost any naturally absorbent material to put in the pocket, including old flat and prefold diapers.

* One-size Diapers. While most diapers need to be replaced as your child grows, one-size are exactly as they sound: one size fits all. This means you can not only use the same diapers from infancy up, but you can also use the same diapers for your older and younger kids and avoid tedious diaper sorting.

You may think that choosing a diaper type is a big enough decision for you to make, but there are other variables you must consider.

* Diaper Liners. This is what keeps excrement from getting into the main fabric of the diaper. These can be fabric, which you wash, or paper, which you can throw away or flush down the toilet.

* Diaper Covers. It used to be you have to cover cloth diapers in annoying plastic. Now there are new materials being used including wool. Wool offers the added benefit of being warm. You can also get wool covers in pant form for a great looking, easy outfit.

* Organics. You now have the option of getting your diaper, liners, soakers, and everything else, made from organic materials. They’re better for the environment and for your baby.

While sifting through the many diapering options can be overwhelming, it’s better to take the time. This way you can find cheap, environmentally friendly diapers that fit into your life.

Kids Living in Two Households

Divorce divides kids between two separate households. It’s not easy for them to get adjusted to the idea of spending time in two places instead of having one home base. Here are some ideas to help make the transition easier for them.

Joint custody can work if both parents are willing to try. This could mean buying two of everything so that the kids feel comfortable in both places. You wouldn’t want your daughter leaving her stuffed bear at dad’s house and mom having to drive all the way back over there to get it in the dead of night, or vice versa.

Kids will get used to living in two places if both parents are on board. It will seem strange, but parents know this and can assure their kids that they understand. Parents shouldn’t take it personally if kids want to spend the day but not the night. This doesn’t mean that they like one parent better than the other. They are used to that house since it has been their home all of their lives.

The newest residence will seem strange at first. The kids have never been here before so it will take some getting used to. They may cry for home that first night that they stay. If they want to go back to their old place, then they should be taken there. Their crying is not a rejection of the other parent; it is the fear of change.

The transition to a new living arrangement is an ongoing process. Kids will have two households and two sets of rules. Some rules need to be agreed upon by both parents to avoid manipulation. For instance, if a child is grounded at mom’s house because of his grades, then he is grounded at dad’s house too. Kids have to follow the rules at both residences just as if their parents were still living under one roof. They may not like it, but if you stick to your guns they will respect it.

When kids leave to spend the weekend with dad, for example, don’t hug them as if you will never see them again. This desperate show of affection signals to kids that you don’t want them to go. They have a right to see their father and spend time with him. His household is their home, too. Assure the kids that you won’t love them any less if they want to see their dad.

Moms will probably field the most questions about the new living arrangement. Kids that want their parents to get back together may fight the two household idea in the hope that the other parent will move back in. This is an idea that most kids of divorced parents hang on to. Tell your kids that this will not be the case.

Also let them know that they can take as much time as they need to get used to the second household. Enlist the aid of the other parent. They can reinforce what you are saying by having a similar conversation with the kids.

Splitting up the family into two households is a big change for kids. Moms and dads can assure them that they both want the new living situation to succeed. Transitions of this type take time, so be patient with your kids.

How to Make Homemade Diaper Wipes

Like most disposable baby products, diaper wipes can be expensive. They also contain unnatural chemicals that may harm your baby. Instead of spending all that money, why not make your own, natural, safe baby wipes at home in just a few minutes?

To start out, you need to find a container to put your wipes in. Most people use Tupperware or some other sealed container. You can also put them in an old container of traditional baby wipes, which will give you the option of putting them in a wipe warmer. Once you have your container, you need to get a roll of Bounty paper towels (you’ll be sad if you use another brand, I promise), cut it in half, and remove the inner tube. This will give you two sets of rolls to use.

Once you have your other materials ready, it’s time to make your wipe solution. Now, if I were to give you all the recipes out there for natural baby wipes that are available, it would probably take me 100 pages. Recipes for baby wipes are similar to recipes for food: everyone has their own. Try different recipes and see which one works best for your baby. If you can’t find one you like, you can always come up with you own recipe. Most recipes contain water (boil then cool for sanitary reasons), baby shampoo or baby bath, and some kind of oil, gel or lotion. You may also find herbal ingredients that are generally for special treatments (anti-fungal wipes) or for aromatherapy.

Once you’re done making your perfect solution, you’re going to put the paper towels in the container and pour the solution over them. Let sit for 10 minutes, then turn upside down and let sit for ten more. If you’re using a container that leaks, make them in a sealed container then transfer them to the one you want later. Once the 20 minutes is up, your towels should be soaked through and ready for use. Just pull the inside towel up, seal your container, and you’re ready to go.

Take the second half of the paper towel roll and store it. Take care not to make too many wipes at once, since homemade wipes don’t have preservatives and artificial chemicals like regular baby wipes they will get moldy and musty if left too long. If you’re constantly having the problem of wipes going bad before you’re done with a roll, simply mix smaller batches of the solution and add them to the paper towels when you use them instead of ahead of time. This can be done by putting it in a spray bottle and spraying some on a wipe, or by dipping the wipe in some solution just before you’re ready to use it.

After you make a batch of baby wipes, be sure to write down the recipe you used, especially if you’re trying several. This will let you know what works best and what may be too rough for your baby’s gentle skin. In no time, you’ll have the perfect homemade personalized baby wipes for your child.

Fun and Educational Games for Toddlers

As toddlers, kids are discovering the world through their five senses. Kids don’t have to wait until they are school age to begin the learning process. They can be started off as young as the age of two with a few fun and educational games.

Music is a good tool for learning. The rhythm and the lyrics teach hand-to-eye coordination, tone and memorization. Once kids are two years old they can usually walk without wobbling too much. Their balance is even between both feet and they are learning to jump and run.

These skills are helpful in songs like “Hokey Pokey”. They learn the right from the left foot and the right from the left arm. Perform the song once for them and then have them try it with you. Both kids and parents will get a laugh out of the song and the game. Don’t worry about how well they perform the movements. Over time, they will improve. “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Row, Row, Row your Boat” are also good songs for movement and rhythm.

I can still remember nursery rhymes from my childhood. Why? Nursery rhymes are told over and over to kids. Even though your child can’t read yet, use picture books to tell the story of the nursery rhymes. When you recite them, use a sing-song rhythm. Start off with simple ones like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and “Mary had a Little Lamb”.

Picture books are excellent for familiarizing toddlers with animals and their sense of touch. The book “Pat the Bunny” has soft surfaces that imitate the furry coat of a bunny. Children can feel the softness and associate it with a bunny rabbit. Other picture books have foods and other items in it that kids see in their homes. After reading the book, you could take your toddler around the house and see if he/she can find any of the book items in the house.

You can take a nature walk outdoors with your child. This is a chance to teach your child about the world beyond their home. You can examine trees, leaves and the grass. Let toddlers feel each thing and see if they can repeat the words that you say. Taking them outdoors in all types of weather introduces them to the idea of rain, snow, cold, heat and wind. Tell them that their outerwear will change depending on the weather for the day.

Kids like to pull things out and spread them on the floor. Use that behavior as a chance to teach them about fruits and vegetables. Purchase the fake fruit that usually comes with play kitchens. As the child picks up each piece, call out the name.

When your child learns to say the names themselves you can play a game with the food called “Fruit Basket Upset”. Throw the fruit up in the air. As you call out the name of the fruit the child has to pick it up and put it in his or her own basket. The child with the most fruit in their basket gets a prize.

Learning doesn’t have to be boring. When you start off making learning fun, toddlers will continue to enjoy the process.

Fun and Educational Games for School Age Children

Once your child enters school, they are able to learn even more than you have started to teach them at home. Don’t let that learning stop at school. Here are some great ideas for fun and educational games that you can play with your school age children to reinforce what they learn in school.

Kids are older now so the games can be more advanced. At this age, most kids love to play outdoors. Why not grab your sneakers and head outdoors with them!

When I was seven or eight, we used to play hopscotch outside. With sidewalk chalk, we would draw our hopscotch squares. The squares alternate between one square on top of two squares on top of one square. The pattern continues until you have ten squares. Each square is numbered.

Using a marble, you throw it so that it lands on one of the numbered squares. You have to jump to that square and pick up the marble. There can only be one foot in a square so you have to balance on one foot while you pick up the marble to throw again. You are the person to beat if you can make it successfully down and back without falling off a square or stepping two feet in one square.

Now that the kids have been reading for a couple of years or more, they can have some fun in the kitchen. Kitchen activities can be educational. Start with something easy like a cookie recipe for them to decipher. Let the kids read the recipe and help to assemble the ingredients. Give them a variety of measuring cups and spoons to work with.

They have to figure out the recipe measurements from the utensils that you have given to them. You may end up with flour all over the counter but it is a good learning experience for them. Besides, you’ll get some sweet treats out of the deal!

If kids like to read and act, let them put on a skit. Each child must choose a favorite scene from their favorite book. Using puppets that they make themselves, they must act out the scene. The rest of the family will try to guess what the name of the book is. The skit can be as long as they need it to be. Designate a parent to help with the crafts and stay out of the guessing.

Stargazing is a fun way to spend an evening. Many kids have heard that the moon is made of green cheese. This is one way to prove that it isn’t. Through a telescope they can see stars, constellations, the moon, and meteor showers up close and personal. As they become more accomplished at it, they can read star charts to find where in the sky certain stars exist.

As your kids age, you can play more and more games to increase their knowledge. Try card games, board games and other outdoor games that use the skills they are learning in school. The key to a love of learning is to take the pressure off by making it a fun thing to do.

How To Teach Shapes

Shapes are in everything. From buildings to furniture, shapes are put together to create other shapes. Once kids learn about their shapes, they will begin to see them everywhere. Here are five ways in which you can teach a child to recognize their shapes:

1. The first way to teach children about shapes is through visual learning. When I was young I had a toy with shapes cut out of it. It also came with other shapes that were supposed to fit into the holes. Over time this idea has evolved into a round ball with shapes cut out of it. The shape pieces are made of plastic instead of wood, but the concept is still the same.

As the child plays with each shape, call out the name of the shape. They will repeat it. The more they play they will learn to recognize the shapes.

2. This same toy can also be used for the second way to teach shapes. This teaching involves fitting the shapes into the holes. Each shape has its own space on the ball. A round piece will not fit into a square hole. Now that they can name the shapes, they must learn how to match shapes with shapes. Show them this by holding the shapes piece next to the proper hole and then dropping it in.

3. Using posters is another way to teach shapes. These posters can be purchased from a toy store or you can use a poster board and create your own. If you use your own, create animals, houses, automobiles, and trees using different shapes. This helps children begin to see the shapes within the main shape. For example, a house is made up of a rectangular frame or a square frame with square windows. Some windows are round like the doorknob. There are many shapes to see.

4. The fourth method is to have a shape scavenger hunt. This teaches children to identify shapes in their home. Give a child a shape from your bag of shapes. Ask them to find other shapes like that one around the house. Count the number of shapes they are able to locate. If they can see the shapes hidden in your home, they can identify them elsewhere.

5. Use educational tapes and DVD’s to teach shapes. Kids like the bright colors and talking animals portrayed on these shows. The animals ask the audience children if they see a particular shape. Your child can walk up to the television and point to the shapes they see. After a few minutes, the animals will identify the right shape and offer encouragement for those that found it.

You’ll likely be surprised by your child when they learn their basic shapes. They will see the car wheels as circles and the car as a rectangle (more or less). Your handclaps will reinforce their learning.

Teach Reading - 5 Useful Methods

Reading opens up a whole new world to kids. They can go to strange and exotic places through the pages of a book. They can learn about history and what others think the future will hold. Here are five tips for teaching your child how to read and have fun at the same time:

1. Kids learn about reading with their ears. Read to a child. Use different tones for the voices of each character. The more exciting the story, the more interested they will be. My kids loved to hear me read the folktale, “The Bremen Town Musicians”. They loved the way I seemed to make the story come to life.

As you read, let your kids look over the pictures and the words. They may not know what the words are at that moment but you are setting them up to learn. The more you read to them, the more words they can recognize by sound.

2. Teach them the alphabet. After all, words are made up of letters. When they learn the alphabet they will begin to recognize letters within the words. Use magnetic letters and the refrigerator as your blackboard. Show your child each letter and say the name. For lower-case letters, flash cards that show the upper and lower-case letters are good for letter recognition.

3. The third way to teach children how to read is through phonics. Phonics teaches how letters are supposed to sound. Instead of using flashcards for this, why not get creative and use items around the house. When studying the sound for the letter “A”, pull an apple out of the refrigerator. Finding objects around the house with the sounds familiarizes your child with the names of everything around them.

4. Now it’s time to learn words. You can watch shows like “Sesame Street” or “The Electric Company”. These shows used fun characters to sound out the letters in words and bring them together as words. Another way is to involve the entire family. Give each person a few pieces of poster board. Attach each piece to a different object around the house.

Since your child is beginning to read, these objects should be one syllable words like mom, dog, cat, and dad. On the poster board, write them with dashes between each letter, like this: d-a-d. Call out each sound with your child repeating after you. Now, try to get them to put the sounds together and say the word.

5. Now it’s time to give your child a book. The last way to teach reading is to let them read it for themselves. Start with a simple book with one syllable words. Pictures will help kids with the words if they get stuck on a sound. The colors in the book should be vibrant and full of life. If you can find a pop-up book, that will be even better. After they read, they can pull the paper lever and see the picture rise to life.

Reading is not the easiest thing in the world to teach. But when kids are young their minds absorb things like a sponge. Teaching them at this age is fun and they retain more information. Remember - once they start reading don’t ever let them stop!

How To Teach Counting - Five Creative Ways

Counting is a useful skill. Mathematics is based on counting. Counting lets you know how much of something you have. Before school starts, you can begin to teach your child the numbers and how to count in order. Here are five great ways to get started:

1. The first way to teach counting to children is with fingers and toes. We have ten fingers and ten toes. What a perfect way to count the basic numbers! Start with the left hand thumb and count all the way over to the right hand thumb. Wiggle each of your child’s fingers as you call out a number. You can make up a number song involving these body parts to help them remember the numbers.

2. Use numbered cards for counting. You can buy flash cards or create your own using poster board and markers. Construct each number as it will appear anywhere else in your child’s surroundings. Leave the fancy stuff for when they reach school. Show the numbers in order so your child again becomes familiar with their order when counting.

3. Snacks can teach counting. As you hand your child their snack, don’t just give them the package. Count the pieces of cereal or gummi fruit on a paper towel. Take your child’s hand and show them how to count back to you. This will be somewhat of a challenge since all they will probably want to do is eat the snacks! It may take several tries.

4. Now that your child is old enough to walk, use that to play a game of counting. Play a game of “Simon Sez” using numbers. For example, “Simon sez, jump three times.” Your child will have to jump up and down three times. Count with each jump. For more fun, you can jump with them. Make it a family game and have everyone participate in play as well.

5. With your help, teach your child about counting by writing their numbers. You will need lots of room so get several sheets of poster board and some crayons. To avoid messes on your floor, you can use the Crayola® markers that only write on special paper. Guide their hand and draw each number from one to ten. As they draw, say the name of the number.

After a couple of months of practice, they may be able to write the numbers when you ask. If not, keep working with them. This is not a race and kids shouldn’t feel pressured. Each of us learns at our own pace. The name of the game is teaching them a new skill and that they have fun while they learn.

Once they learn their numbers, why not take them out to a children’s museum or some other place where they can put their hands on play objects. Group the toys together. See if your child can count the number of items in each group. Help them to count if they need it.

Most kids first learn to count on their fingers. It is like the calculator that goes with you wherever you go. Teaching them to count will also go with them through life whatever they choose to do.

How to Make Homemade Baby Food

f you’ve looked at the price of baby food lately, you might be surprised at how high it is. Plus, if you want your food to be organic and not full of preservatives, you have to pay even more. With a little time and work, you can save money by making your own baby foods. It’s easy and simple to make delicious, nutritious meals for your baby.

What you’ll need:

* A steamer. Don’t boil baby food; it takes away nutrients from your baby’s food. You can get an inexpensive steamer that cooks quickly and leaves all the vitamins and minerals your baby needs

* A food processor. While most people would think to use a blender to puree food for your baby, you’ll probably be sadly disappointed with the results. Blenders not only make a mess, they also make lumpy food your child may not be fond of.

* Ice cube trays, freezer bags, and lots of space. Unless you want to cook up food for your child everyday, freezing is the way to go. Instead of having to make new, you can just pop it in the microwave and be ready to go in no time. Ice cube trays are a great way to store food and make convenient portion sizes.

The first step is to wash and skin fruits and vegetables then cut them up into small pieces. This will make them easier to use later. If skinning and peeling gets tedious, you can always use some prepared food from the grocery store, like baby carrots. This way you just have to wash them and skip to the next step.

The next step is to cook your food. For vegetables, use the steamer. Once you’re done steaming, keep the water. You can add it later to thin out your food to the right consistency. If you’re preparing meat or pasta, just cook it on the stove as normal, but don’t add any oil or spices.

After your food is done cooking, you’re ready to start processing. Put the foods separately into the food processor. For pureed foods, you can leave the processor alone because it may take a while. Later on when the food needs less processing, you may need to monitor it. This is also the point where you would start fruits like banana that don’t require cooking. You could also try throwing in some of last night’s leftovers.

After your food is prepared, pour it into the ice cube trays. If you don’t have enough room in your freezer, simply put sealed food into the refrigerator until you do have room. Once the cubes are frozen, put 4 of them into a Ziploc back and put them back into the freezer. At first, you should keep the same kinds of foods in the same bag, but eventually you can start mixing and matching. For example, put in two meat cubes and two pasta cubes for a mixed meal.

When you’re ready to go, just take a baggie out of the freezer and pop it into the microwave; simple as that. If you don’t use microwaves, you can heat in hot water on the stove; just be sure not to melt the bag or cook the food more.
With just a little work, you can make great tasting, inexpensive meals for your baby.

Teaching Toddler Colors - Five Creative Ways

Our eyes are attracted to colorful things. Color gives life to paintings, drawings, photographs and television. If everything were in black and white there wouldn’t be much to characterize what we see. Here are five great suggestions for teaching your toddler about colors:

1. Teach colors through flash cards. Flash cards contain pictures of items in various colors. For example, if it was a picture of a bear it would be brown. The colors are shown as they would be in the real world. You wouldn’t want a card that shows a yellow sky or a red tree. The colors on a flash card are very bright so this is a good place to start. Say each color and let the child repeat after you.

2. Kids also learn colors through food. Foods come in a variety of vibrant colors. When your child asks for something to eat, tell them the color of what they are eating. Some varieties of foods, like apples and peppers, come in many colors, which also teaches the kids that objects can have more than one color. Use the basic names for colors like red, green, blue, and so on. Saying blue-green or orange-red may be too confusing for the kids.

3. Use paints to teach colors. Take a giant piece of poster board and lay it on a drop cloth. Let the children dip their hands in the paint and create handprints on the paper. Call out each color after they make a hand print. Wash their little hands and start over. Kids like to be messy so this teaching tool is both fun and educational.

4. Take your child outside. As you pass trees, stones, grasses and cars, identify the colors. After you have seen a wide variety of colors, point to something and ask your child what color it is. This exercise may be slow going at first because colors in nature don’t appear in the same hues as they do on flash cards or in a paint set.

5. Play games with your toddler that involve colors. Use a pole with a magnet attached to a paper clip on the end of a string. Have fish or some other shapes of objects on the floor with magnets attached to them. When you call out a color, see if your child can pick up the pieces with that color. If saying the name of the color doesn’t work at first, hold up a piece of paper displaying the color you want them to fish for. Not only will they learn about colors, but also hand-to-eye coordination.

There are more games that you can teach your child. For example, they can find the colors around the house while playing a scavenger game. The importance of color recognition will become important when they learn about stop signs and other meanings for colors.

Teaching colors doesn’t have to be boring. Inject a bit of fun into the process! At a young age, kids are a blank slate. Fill them up with good learning.

Toddler Temper Tantrums - How To Deal

Few parents have made it through any child's toddler stage without having to deal with a few temper tantrums. They are one of the most difficult things mothers and fathers have to deal with when their children are young. You can save yourself a lot of frustration by taking steps to avoid them as much as possible. And when they do occur, remaining calm can help you put them to an end much more quickly.

What Causes Tantrums?

The toddler stage is one that is full of transitions. There is a huge amount of physical and mental development going on. He has the desire to be independent, but he still needs help with some things. He also has a long way to go with his communication skills, and sometimes he will know what he wants but have trouble relaying that information. All of these things can lead to frustration, and that is the root cause of many a tantrum.

Some toddlers also use tantrums as a way to manipulate. If parents give in to these tantrums, they will almost certainly be followed by more of the same. So when dealing with tantrums that are designed to ensure that the child gets what he wants, it is important to stand your ground.

Avoiding Tantrums

The best and most effective way to deal with tantrums is to avoid them in the first place. That may sound impossible, but it's not. It will, however, require you to determine what factors make a tantrum most likely to happen.

When your child has tantrums, is he usually tired or hungry? Or does he react poorly to situations that leave him bored? These and other factors can put your child in a bad mood and trigger tantrums. Remedying these situations before taking your child anywhere can result in him being more agreeable, and in turn lessen the chances of a tantrum.

Dealing With Tantrums

A tantrum will almost certainly occur every now and then. If it does, the first thing you should do is remain calm. Getting upset or angry will only add fuel to the fire.

Addressing the child's frustrations may put an end to the meltdown, or at least lessen its severity. If you don't know what it is that your toddler wants, ask him to tell or show you. If you know what he wants but he can't have it, explain that you are aware of his desires but can't fulfill them. Don't forget to tell him why.

Holding your child can sometimes help calm him down. Unless he is flailing his arms and legs wildly to the point that he is hurting you, holding him and comforting him with soothing words might improve the situation. But if this makes him more upset, it is defeating the purpose. In that case, letting him go and staying close by to make sure he doesn't hurt himself might be a better course of action.

If you are in public when the tantrum starts, don't panic. If you try to calm your toddler to no avail, take him somewhere quiet and as private as possible to cool off. When the tantrum is over, explain how you expect your child to behave before going back to your previous activity.

Tantrums are no fun for toddlers or their parents, but sometimes they happen. By remaining calm, you can avoid making the situation worse. Then you can use compassion to address your child's frustrations and put them to rest.