The Parenting Forum Blog

You have just extended a welcome to your little bundle of joy and are proud to be a new Mom. You have taken a break from a busy career to devote your time to this angel. As always time flies off and you realize your maternity leave is over. It's time to join office and you realize you are again in a difficult phase. You are happy about going back to work but are worried about setting your baby's routine. There are numerous questions hovering at the back of your mind.

Following are the tips that will help you be the best Mom and the career woman that you have wanted to be:

1. Right from the beginning, do not let the guilt of being a working Mom creep in your mind. You are going to work for your self esteem as an individual, for your family, and for your baby. So get back on your toes with confidence and happiness, not with a guilt. 
2. Plan your baby's routine and check on it few weeks in advance. You and your baby need to get adapted to it. This includes, switching the baby from breast feed to bottle feed for specific hours when you are away. If the baby is old enough for external feeds, you need to plan that as well.
3. Your baby needs a good caretaker when you are away. This could be a daycare or someone at home. Get trials of this routine as well. The baby and the babysitter should be comfortable with each other when you are away. The person should be skilled and aware of dealing with all the possible emergencies that can arise in infant care. Else, this adds to your stress.
4. Based on your nature of work and office schedule, plan the immunization and related leaves in advance. Ask the Dad to contribute and share this as well. Be prepared for unexpected illnesses and other challenges that are going to take up your time and energy as well. These involve sleepless nights, teething, food tantrums and some other adventures as months pass by.
5. Keep clear communication with office folks, Dad and grandparents if they are going to take care of the kid. If your office does offer flexible times or work from home options, you may possible need leaves. Ensure your office that you will not let work get affected. Similarly, counsel your husband that he needs to share the equal responsibility of being there for the baby at times. Grandparents' support and help are most required during this phase. 

A baby's nails grow very quickly and babies tend to scratch themselves as they move their hands and feet. Their toe and finger nails are very delicate too. Therefore, you need to look into the nail trimming at least once or twice a week depending on the nail growth. You also need to be very careful when you cut the nails.

The best time to cut the nails is when the baby is fast asleep, preferably during the day so that you can be extra careful. The sleep after the bath is also a good time, as the nails become soft after a bath. Depending on the sleep pattern, you can decide which time would be ideal.

Place the baby on a wide surface and sit beside her. Gently hold the hand and cut the nail using an infant scissor or an infant nail clipper. Do not use scissors or clippers that are sharp or meant for adults. If the baby tends to wake up or moves, stop for a while and then resume. When cutting the nails, make the nail stick out by applying slight pressure and cut it in one single motion. Cutting the nails in an irregular manner can leave sharp jagged edges and the baby may hurt herself. Repeat the same process for the toe nails. Observe the growth of the nails and trim them as needed.

Do not cut the nails too deep as it may hurt the tender skin. If there is any dirt, gently remove it with your fingers.

There are various accessories intended for baby nail care. You can also buy a baby manicure set. The important nail care items for babies are:
Infant nail scissors:These are especially designed for baby nail cut. They have large handles that are comfortable to hold without the risk of losing the grip. The blade has rounded edges that eliminate the risk of pricking or causing cuts. Scissors are much convenient to handle than nail clippers.
Infant nail clippers: These are available in various sizes and pretty shapes, but the clip size is small and designed for the tiny nails. They also do not have sharp edges and are safe. Nail clippers are more useful if there are any jagged edges that need a trim.
Infant nail files: These are small files that are exceptionally tender on the soft nails. Files may be used to file off the fresh cut nail surfaces or any sharp edges.
You can manage your baby's nail care with just a pair of baby scissors, but you can have the other two items ready if you feel any sharp edges still persist.

Important:
Be extremely careful when cutting your baby's nails. Do not haste and cut it in an incorrect way as this can harm the tender skin.

If you have decided to buy a pacifier for your little one, here are some important tips that you need to remember:

• Research for the correct pacifier size that your baby is going to need with respect to age. Pacifiers usually occur in the range of 0-6 months and 6+ months. If the pacifier is large, it becomes uncomfortable for the baby while a smaller size may result in choking hazards.
• Study the various pacifier brands available in the market and try out 2 to 3 different brands so as to know which one suits the best. Opt for different designs and select the one that is safe and convenient for the baby.
• Once you narrow down your search to specific brands, observe the design of the pacifier and shape and size of the nipples. You can opt for a BPA free nipple that is extremely safe for the baby. BPA Bisphenol-A is a synthetic compound that is found in plastics and is supposed to be risk posing. In other cases, prefer the silicone nipples. Avoid plastics and also check out for latex allergies. The pacifier shield should be broad but it must also provide sufficient breathing space to your baby.

 Warnings:

• Strictly avoid pacifiers that may pose any type of choking hazard.
• Examine the pacifier and nipple intermittently. If there is any discoloration or wear out, discard the pacifier immediately. In any case replace pacifiers frequently.
• Keep the pacifier regularly to avoid infections.
• Pacifiers are many a times not recommended as they may interfere with breast feeding.
• Avoid using bottle nipples as pacifiers as it results in choking hazards.

When you think of buying a feeding bottle for you baby, you may get confused with the numerous options that you find in the market. There are various types of bottles, several types of nipples, bibs, and a range of bottle accessories. However, a feeding bottle is definitely a product that you need for your baby. It may be required at the stage when you start bottle feeding or you may need it to store breast milk.

There are basically three types of feeding bottles and every type has its own benefits and drawbacks:

• Plastic bottles are easy to carry, unbreakable and safe to handle than glass ones. However, the quality of the plastic needs to be good. It is also advisable that the plastic should be BPA free. The plastic bottle shave a low life as compared to the glass bottles.
• Glass bottles can be cleaned thoroughly by boiling. They also last longer, but have a risk to being cracked or broken if not handled properly.
• You also get disposable bottles that have a sterilized liner that can be disposed after each feeding. If the quality of the liner is good and safe to use, these bottles are very convenient. However they are expensive than the other two types.

There are wide varieties in nipples too when it comes to material, shape and size. Nipples are usually made of plastic, silicone or latex. If you are opting for latex, you need to ensure that the baby does not react with any allergy. For plastic nipples you again need to ensure that the plastic is safe and preferably BPA free. The best choice to opt for is silicone nipples. The shapes vary from rounded to flat or mimicked to the shape of mother's nipples. Nipples also come in various sizes. Accordingly the holes in the nipple may be small or large, thus affecting the milk flow. You need to test the milk flow before using it.

There are some important tips that you need to follow regarding nipples:

• Your baby may or may not adapt to a particular nipple type. If she is a picky one, the you will be required to try variety of nipples till the baby gets used to a particular one.
• Nipples may gradually get cracked by wear and tear, hence need to be replaced periodically.
• Always use a bottle or nipple cap for safety and hygiene.
• Research for good nipple brands to ensure good quality.

Accessories related to feeding bottles
Though there is a wide range of accessories that relates to feeding bottles, you need not have all the items. There are certain accessories that are important like bottle brushes, nipple brushes, extra nipples, bibs and burp cloths.

Here you go! Let us begin with the source item, the diapers:


Diapers: These are basically of 2 types, if you go in for the ready-made ones available in the market. You have the cloth diapers and the disposable ones. Cloth diapers also occur in wide range of varieties. They are leak proof, customizable and soft enough to make the baby comfortable. Disposable diapers of brands like Huggies and Pampers are famous. They occur as simple diapers, diaper pants and as nappies. There are many other well known brands as well.
When selecting a diaper, you need to find out the correct size for your little one. You need to test whether the baby is comfortable in the diaper and has no tendency of any allergy or rashes. Gradually you also need to follow up with the change in size. For the cloth diapers, you need to verify the texture of the cloth and the nature of the anti-leak mechanism.

Baby Wipes: You can clean your baby at home the usual way. However, when you are out or you are travelling, it is advisable to carry wipes. Baby wipes are wipes that are extra soft for the baby skin. Most of the baby wipes have the specifications described on them. They are alcohol free, fragrance free and so on. Wipes may be dry or moist. You may select as per your choice and convenience.
There are a variety of wipe holders and wipes dispensers available in the market. These items are very convenient when you take your baby for outings.

Diaper Pails: Diaper pails depend on the type of diapers that are used. For cloth diapers, you need to rinse them if they are stored till laundry time. These pails are dry and have liners that can be washed along with diapers. For disposable diapers, the pails come in varieties. They are deodorized and have filter mechanisms to prevent unpleasant odour. They contain liners that can be disposed with the diapers.

Diaper Refills: These are containers or holders where you can stack in diapers and then use them throughout the day or night. Some refills come in a combo along with diaper pails. You need to ensure the excellent quality of the refill since the diapers are supposed to be stored in it for a long time.
Alternatively you can go in for stacks or organizers. Stacks come in varieties as multi purpose stacks, where you can store the baby's clothes and other items as well. However, if you are a travel person, then you need handy portable refills.

Changing Pads: These are soft pads that come in various dimensions are are made of variety of material. They are used for changing diapers and can be used at home and outside as well. Changing pads are leak proof and deodorized. Some are washable while some are disposable. You can also have covers for changing pads that are not disposable. The cover helps the pads to last longer.
Another option for changing pads is Changing Kits. These are amazing fold-able kits that you can carry in your purse as well. Just open them to turn them into a changing pad. You can use them conveniently anywhere on the go. They occur in various sizes and shapes.

Diaper Bags: These are not exclusively meant for diapers. They are also called Mommy's bags and are customized to carry all the baby necessities. The Mommy bags market has revolutionized and now you get a whole new range of bags that include Daddy's bags and stylish Mommy bags too!

Diaper Creams and Powders: After cleaning, Moms usually apply baby creams or powders to keep the skin moisture free and clean. There are anti-rash creams specially available for babies who have a sensitive skin.

So this is the list of all the possible diaper related items that I can recollect.

                                        
                                                    Image Source: Amazon.com

 Your baby loves to have a bath while playing with the bath toys, or you are getting her comfortable with the bath by using bath toys.Alternatively, you may be very enthusiastic in buying toys and may land up with numerous bath toys. Now you have an additional job of managing the bath toys. You need to ensure that they are cleaned and dried thoroughly. Managing bath toys can be tedious. Every time you clean the bath tub and the bath space, you need to collect the toys, dry them thoroughly and make space to store them.

There are some objects that can really ease your task:

Nets and Holders for Bath Toys: You can get get scoop nets exclusively or along with the set of bath toys. It is convenient to just scoop up the dispersed toys in the tub.Your toddler can also help you with this. There are netted holders which can be suspended and which hold the toys easily. The net helps to drain the moisture and the toys can dry up gradually. However, you need to be careful to thoroughly clean and dry up the nets too.

Bath Toys Bags: These are netted bags that come in various sizes. You can collect the toys in this bag and allow the excess water to drip off. It is then easy to dry them and the bag in sunlight.

Bath toys Organizers: You get storage baskets or toy organizers in different shapes and sizes. According to the design of your bath space or nursery, you can place them. Some are large enough with independent spaces for bath accessories and bath toys. They are easy to clean and have slits that drain off water.
Some organizers come in suitable sizes to be fitted on to the bath tubs as well.

With the term end exams just round the corner, Moms have geared up with full energy and enthusiasm. Notes, question papers, important tips are the major discussions going around. Health awareness, nutrition, adequate sleep, less play, and control on gadgets are the items on the to do list. Starting right from Grade 1 to Grade X, the exam fever is heating up the atmosphere.


I have never understood the cause, but as a mom I can say that exams usually affect the Moms more than it affects dads. Dads are pretty cool about things and either act as silent spectators or peacemakers! And kids? They are entirely in a defensive mode.

Things are more complicated for working moms. I do not say they are simple for at home moms, but working mothers are aware of the restriction of time. Tutions are not enough for last week preparations. When you are away at office, you need to be well prepared to keep you kid engaged with a task related to his next day's exam. This task needs to be monitored over phone calls if necessary and follow up occurs in the evening. Evenings are again dedicated to a final revision and mom's strategical planning for the next day. I am sure every working mom wishes that she was a work from home mom during this week. Things turn out to be more strenuous if surprise meetings or calls pop up at office followed by extended hours.

Another challenge for every mom is health.These are the days when the kids are likely to come up with stress related symptoms like stomach pains, headaches, and even fever in some cases. Managing health and exams is a crucial thing.Then there are challenges on the home front as well. Your maid may not turn up or there could be some emergency related to a family member or some issue related to the younger one. Apart from all this the show must go on with the minimal daily chores.

Does this sound too much? But it is a fact. Every six months, there are a couple of weeks when Moms act as jugglers balancing numerous things. Finally it is the relief and satisfaction, that your kid has faced one more test in his life and you know he is surely going to emerge as a winner in his own way, irrespective of the marks that he gets on his scorecard. The numbers on the scorecard do not matter so much. It is the efforts, the understanding of challenges, the will power to face it and the courage to  accept the results is what matters to you. Isn't it true?

Are these synonyms? Well, in today's age the answer could be Yes. We can find very few kids around us who can really turn their back towards gadgets. Be it a cellphone, an ipad, iphone or a tab, they definitely have some knowledge about it and basic skills to handle it.

When I brought my new cell, I realized that my young chap was eagerly looking forward to it. So now it belongs to us. The basic functions of call and messaging are handled by me and rest all by my kiddo!

Kids have adapted to this revolution very positively. But this poses a major challenge for parents. In this revolution of gadgets, we cannot avoid keeping our kids away from them. If I block his access to these he is going to learn about it from friends. The best option is to make sure that whatever he learns should be in a positive way. This affiliation for technology should develop as a skill rather than an addiction.

However, there is always the other side to a coin. When imparting freedom to kids regarding the usage of gadgets, there are two things that every parent should remember:

• A supervision in a correct way and required measure is necessary. Teenage kids do not like to be interrogated or supervised. But you need to find out ways to keep a track of their progress in this field.
• Giving them access to these gadgets does not mean satisfying undue or unrealistic demands for new gadgets. 
• Constructive use of gadgets is important. For example, using kindle to enhance reading skills or using the tab for memory games or improving language skills.

So, with all these sets of do's and don'ts get ready to enjoy the tech world with your kid. He will lead you there and guide you as well.

If you have a kid, you invariably are aware of the anime series Shin-Chan or Crayon Shin-Chan as it is more popularly known among kids. This anime series has highly impressed the kids all over the globe but has received mixed views and reviews from parents. Why are parents so much concerned about a popular cartoon series?
To introduce, Shin-Chan is the 5 year old kid of Misae or Mitsy Nohara and Harry Nohara. He has a little sister Himawari. The themes of all the episodes are woven around this family. A little brat that he is, Shin-Chan is extremely witty and mischievous. Mitsy is a homemaker while Harry is a stereotypical Japanese salaryman who works in the office time and returns home tired. Shiro, the pet dog of Nohara family is as good as a family member and a significant character.  

Shin-Chan is up to mischief just like any other kid and also exhibits all the traits like children of his age do. Yet he stands apart due to the over smart answers that he gives his elders and also some of his weird habits. Commenting on ladies, creating a menace for his parents due to his strange behavior and actions and justifying those by his rude and outspoken dialogues are some of these. Mitsy is often portrayed as a lady who tries to be a sophisticate and ends up in a mess. At times she is shown to be the target of Shin-Chan's pranks. Both the parents when targeted by his pranks are often rewarded by his sarcasm. He does receive punishments but by then he's already delivered his share of thoughts.

If you watch Shin-Chan as an entertainment, it is funny. But I have observed in case of several kids around that regular watchers often start imbibing the values that they notice on screen. When this happens in case of Shin-Chan, you start getting all those weird comments. I have seen kids change their accent and body language to be like their idol! This then becomes a task for parents to get the kid to normal terms. So finally it becomes a lesson for the parents to draw the line for this entertainment when it starts filtering into the day to day life.

Disclaimer: The review is based on my personal experience with the product. I have not been sponsored or gifted a sample product for the review.



As a Mom and as a homemaker, I have never encouraged packaged or canned foods. So when we got the pack of Kellogg's Muesli for the first time, I was a bit hesitant. However, to my surprise it turned out to be a delight for all of us. From my experience with this product, I can present the review as below:

Kellogg's Muesli is available in four different varieties:
Extra nut delight: It contains multigrains, raisins, dates, and almonds.
Extra fruit magic: It contains apples, mellow peaches, papaya and Californian raisins.
Extra muesli crunchy fruit and nut: This contains crunchy Californian almonds, Canadian dates, Californian raisins, apples, mellow peaches, and papaya.
Extra tropical bonanza: This contains mangoes and mellow peaches.

We have tried out Extra nut delight and Extra fruit magic flavors. This product has given me the satisfaction of providing a combination of taste and nutrition for my family as compared to the junk food items in the market. It is a delight for kids and I can garnish it with fruits and dry fruits of my choice. Due to the yummy taste, having milk is also welcome nowadays. As a working woman, it saves a lot of time in the busy morning hours too.

As with all other food items, repetition makes the taste monotonous. Hence, having some other alternatives for breakfast is a must. 

I met my friend last week. Her son is 4 yr old and she is a career woman. Yes, I won't say working mom, I would put it as a career woman. She has kept her work life balance with the help of her parents and a lot of maids. The kid goes for 3 hours to the playschool and she meets him late evening, when she spends some so called "quality time" with him.
Like every mom, she feels she needs to give the very best to her kid and look into his all round development. These are the measures she adopted:
Being a single child, she wanted him to socialize, so she fixed up his 2 hours in a day care.
She wanted him to be a bit religious, so she fixed up his hour at a coaching that teaches the chants and prayers.
Like any other kid, he's not very keen in studying (which is actually not a big deal at playschool), but she is worried of his school grade and put him on to tutions for an hour.
All this didn't seem enough for the worried mom, so she engaged him on to extra curricular activities for 3 hours on Saturdays.
Well, I was shocked at all this. And, I was disgusted at the way she was justifying her decisions. I couldn't imagine a 4 year old running from one coaching to another training all the week round. Does the little soul even realize what he was into? Does he know the reason to do all this?
He's not the only one. My neighbor's seven year old is a Brown belt in Karate and  performed her Arangetram  in Bharatnatyam! So she is mastering classical dance and martial arts at the same time, along with a hectic school routine.
It is true that kids adapt to routine easily and are fast learners, but as parents, we should decide on how far to stretch their patience. They have to grow up and face a big competitive world ahead. That is the time they will need to be on their toes. For this they need a calm, peaceful childhood. If we engage them at this stage so fiercely, they will already be exhausted by the time they face the world. If we put ourselves in their shoes, how does it feel to run around at others whims? Should we not wait for them to grow a little and express what their interests are?
I sincerely think, it is time for parents to introspect today.

Baby and kids' clothing and fashion wear have gone through an evolution in the last decade. Fashion designers have exhibited their talent not only in girls' wear but in boys' clothing too. When we shop for our kid, we make sure to get them the best, no matter what the prices say.
But there is one thing that I have experienced. We get lots of varieties for our boy and in a short span of time, he outgrows these clothes. Secondly, the wardrobe is stuffed with so many sets, that some of them hardly get a chance to get displayed. This has taught me few lessons to manage my kids' wardrobe:

• I usually keep rearranging his clothes every week. This gives me a chance to get the unused ones in the front row and they are not left unobserved.
• Initially when he was a baby and then a toddler, I had the habit of keeping the best ones for special occasions, just to find that the dress doesn't fit him anymore. I do not do this now. I make sure that the clothes get into use.
• When I realize that any type of wear is going to get short for him, I sort it out. I donate these sets.
• This way we make sure that our kiddo gets to use all the best stuff that we get for him and it also reaches the right place where it is used by someone else too!