The Parenting Forum Blog

Your little toddler may often get scared of darkness due to a number of reasons. This could be due to some monster or witch in a fairy tale or some fearful scene on television or it may be simply due to darkness. As a result the kid may refuse to sleep alone or may hesitate going from one room to another. There are ways to deal with this fear:

Do not coax or blame the kids for this fear and do not be overly protective either. Be with them initially and teach them to manage themselves gradually.

If the kid is not willing to transit from one room to another, offer to goo with him or her. Keep the lights on in other rooms so that the kid is comfortable.

Bedtime atmosphere needs to be changed in such cases. Change the stories to humorous ones or put on some soothing tunes.

Offer to sleep with your toddler till the fear is overcome.

Make sure that the kid has had a complete meal and the other daily chores are taken proper care of.

You may be invited for functions like baptism, naming ceremony, baby shower and so on, where you wish to gift the infant. Jewelry is an ideal gift for infants, be it a boy or a girl. However, you enter the shop and you are even more confused as to what exactly you should select. Here are some things to consider:

There are several options in infant jewelry like earrings, bracelets, anklets, necklaces or chains and even finger rings. But in all cases, comfort of the baby comes first.

Never go in for imitation jewelry for infants. Their skin is too soft and sensitive. Always prefer gold or silver only.

Buy jewelry items that have absolutely no choking hazards. Do not go for suspended beads, pearls or small diamonds which can fall off or can be plucked off.

There should be no sharp cuts or edges in case of bracelets or chains. The baby should feel comfortable with the piece on. If the size is small, opt to get it changed immediately.

You may talk to the parents if they are fine about using these items for their infant. They may not be so in some cases. Also some parents are allergy conscious in case of infants.

Introducing your toddler to books and reading proves to be very beneficial in the long run. At the toddler age, kids are not very patient, you need to develop this passion in them and it happens gradually. Just buying books is not enough, you need to give some time too. Once they get to like books, they develop into avid readers ahead. Here are some tips to work into this:

Start with small picture books designed for the age group of your kid. These books have less content and big colorful pictures. Kids enjoy these a lot. You can begin with picture books like vegetables, flowers and others. Then gradually introduce them to short picture stories.

Let the kid explore the book. Kids love to explain or narrate things to elders. Give them the scope to do so. The kid books are normally hard bound, so relax. Also, initially let the kid skip back and forth in the book, do not impose rules immediately.

Spend some time regularly as reading time. Your toddler will look forward to it. Do not hesitate to buy new books if the kid loves them. The investment pays off well.

For kids around a year old, start teaching them the systematics of reading. Also teach them how to care for their books and arranging them properly.

 Toddlers are busy little souls. They like to utilize every moment in exploring the world around them and hence need to be watched over carefully. Things become very difficult when you are busy with cooking and there is no one at home to take care of your little devil. Keeping your toddler occupied as you carry out the culinary tasks is a big task in itself. Here is what you can do:

They can be put into a child rocking chair or high chair with safety belts or straps that keeps them at one place at least for sometime. You can entertain them by singing or chatting.

Toddlers usually love music and videos. Keep a collection of rhymes, songs and cartoons ready for such times. However be careful that they do not get addicted to these things.

Drawing, coloring, painting and writing are great tasks. You can hand these guys paper and colors and just watch them squeeze out their imagination! However, some toddlers require an interaction in this process while some prefer to be left alone.

Sometimes kids love to imitate Moms, so your toddler may want to help you out in the kitchen. Give them things like pretend n play kitchen items or some utensils or vegetables that are safe to play around with.

These kids won't be caught up in a single task for a long time. So make sure your bag is full of variety of entertainment items that you can keep on changing from time to time. The moment they get bored, they start off with their exploration and keep you tied with them leaving your work aside.

Note: No matter what you keep your toddler busy with, always keep an eye to check that the kid is safe. Do not ignore any moves and do not let them handle any objects that could cause a risk.

Your baby's first Halloween calls for a celebration indeed. You can make this a memorable event by inviting the kids around and it will be a pleasure to see them dressed at their best. Halloween is known for the unique dressing up of kids which they as well as the parents enjoy. Your little one can also be dressed very imaginatively. Here are some of the ways in which you can go about it:

You can select a theme for the dress up. For infants, you can opt the costume of flowers, fruits or vegetable. They look really cute as a daisy or carrot or an apple!

If the baby is a little older, you can go in for pretend n play costumes like doctor, soldier or something else.

Kids who are around a year old can start indicating their choice as well Their favourites include cartoon characters that are in latest trend or those like Disney characters that are all time favourites. Girls may be overjoyed being Cindrella or Snow White while the little guys may enjoy being action heroes.

Whatever be the style or character, make sure that the costume is comfortable, made of soft fabrics and does not irritate the kid.