Today’s Tip - Slap some sunscreen on your kid before you take them out in the sun

Yeah, yeah. No one wants to be that “overprotective” parent that puts their kids in long sleeve shirts and pants in the middle of summer, topped off with a sun hat, sunglasses and a coconut nose of sunscreen. But just one bad burn can increase the chance of skin cancer later on, so I think your kids will probably forgive you for any embarrassment you subjected them to when they were four months old, especially since they won’t remember it.

Any super long periods in the sun (baseball games, the beach, etc.) you should make sure skin’s covered up and that they are in the shade for a majority of the time. There are light-weight clothes out there specifically designed to block the sun and keep your kid cool at the same time. Sunscreen isn’t an opaque layer between your infant and the sun. And it wears off. For shorter periods outside (walks, playtime outside for a half hour or so), throw on some sunscreen and try not to have any one area in direct sunlight for too long.

As far as picking sunscreen, waterproof is always a must at the beach. Pick one with a healthy spf, 30 or higher. And if you want to save money, go generic. The protection is the same, but it just might not smell or feel as good. It’s your call.

Parenting, Sun, Sunscreen, Protection

Today’s Tip - Baby proof the house before you actually need to

Maybe you were super organized and baby proofed the house before they even arrived, but if you’re like me, it fell lower on the priority list than it should have. After all, they can’t even move around for the first 5 or 6 months anyway. But, you don’t want to wait until they’re crawling around to start making the house safe. You might miss something in your hurry or worse, you’ll be prompted into action by them sticking a paper clip into an outlet.

So before your baby is born, and definitely before they even come close to rolling over, make sure you take care of the following around the house:

• Put plastic outlet covers in all open outlets
• Lock cupboards and drawers that your baby can reach
• Put all dangerous chemicals and substances out of reach
• Keep scissors, knives and sharp objects put away
• Make sure all large, heavy objects are on the ground or on stable bases so they can’t be pulled down on top your baby
• Put a baby gate across stairs
• Keep pet food and kitty litter put away and out of reach
• Place fragile objects out of reach
• Move houseplants out of reach, they can be toxic
• Make sure medication is out of your purse and into a medicine cabinet
• Cover any sharp corners with padding
• Get down on your hands and knees, think like a kid to find other trouble areas

Parenting, Baby, Proof, Safety

Today’s Tip - Try mixing medicine into 1 oz of milk to get your baby to take it (check with the pediatrician first)

Whenever we tried to give our son amoxicillin, he’d scrunch his face up, spit it out or throw up his entire previous feeding altogether. I think that nasty bubble gum as medicine taste did him in. (Made me sick just to smell it).And when we gave him children’s Tylenol, he’d sometimes spit it out or hold it in his mouth and drool it out.

Our pediatrician suggested mixing the amoxicillin into an ounce of his milk and feeding it to him. It worked fine and he has no problems keeping it down. Don’t mix it into more, if they don’t finish the feeding then you really have no way of gauging how much they got or giving them the rest. And, you should ask your pediatrician before trying it. She said amoxicillin was fine to do, but I’m sure there are drugs you shouldn’t do this with. Just check to be safe.

Parenting, Medicine, Give, Amoxicillin

Today’s Tip - Make exploration and everything fun for your baby

I’m a big believer that the environment you’re raised in determines your personality and outlook on life, so I try to make everything my son does fun and exciting. Everything from diaper changes, to singing, to being bounced up and down, and even sneezing. I never thought I’d see a kid with such a huge grin after sneezing or coughing, but he loves it because we smile and laugh at all his little accomplishments.

I also have a co-worker that made taking medicine fun for her little girl. Now whenever she sees the syringe with medicine in it she gets super excited. I think if you take this type of attitude right from the beginning and apply it to everything, your kids will pick up on it and soon everything becomes an adventure and something they enjoy doing. I’m hoping it works with mowing the lawn and scooping up dog poop, but maybe that’s wishful thinking.

Plus, there’s plenty of time to be serious later in life. Why not make the mundane, tedious and sometimes uncomfortable a big laugh?

Parenting, Activity, Fun, Development

Today’s tip - Take a rectal temperature to get the most accurate reading

While my son has an ear infection, we’re checking his temp often to make sure he doesn’t get too hot, and so we know when we can send him back into day care. We’re checking it orally and under the arm, but the readings seemed a little inconsistent. Plus all the documentation I’ve seen for “normal” ranges is calibrated for the rectal temperature. To take it:

• Use a digital thermometer that is designed to take a rectal temperature
• Put some vaseline on the end of the thermometer
• Insert the thermometer a half inch into the rectum
• Wait for the thermometer to beep
• Read the temperature. Usually, a range of 97-100 F is good
• Clean the thermometer with a little soap and water

If you still want to check orally and under the arm, keep in mind that you’ll need to alter the number a little bit. Add a degree to the oral temperature, and add two degrees to the under the arm temp.

Parenting, Temperature, Thermometer, Oral, Rectal

Today’s Tip - A trip to the pediatrician and some antibiotics or a comparable home remedy are needed to stave off an ear infection

Our son had his first illness today…an ear infection. I was surprised to learn they’re one of the most common ailments for infants. The pediatrician thinks our son got his from bacteria in the stuffy nose he’s had for the past few days. The bugs got back in there and wreaked havoc. Our son had a fever of 102 F and was sleeping quite a bit during the day. (if yours does this at a young age like 3 months, you should head in to the pediatrician)

Some common signs of an ear infection are:

• Fever
• Increased difficulty sleeping
• Fussiness, crying, especially when laying down
• Shaking of the head

Of course, these symptoms separately might not indicate an ear infection, and they could have one without some of these symptoms.

Our pediatrician prescribed amoxicillin. Here’s some information about the drug. There are home remedies out there too, and if anyone knows of something they’ve had success with, I’d love to hear about it.

If your baby’s fever doesn’t go down within 48 hours of starting the amoxicillin, call your pediatrician for advice. And of course, if the fever gets above anything but a low-grade fever, call your pediatrician as well. The good news is, even though they are common, ear infections are completely treatable and rarely lead to more serious complications unless they’re allowed to run rampant.

It’s important to treat an ear infection because they can lead to meningitis or to problems with hearing and speech development.

Parenting, Ear, Infection, Amoxicillin

Today’s Tip - Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Most people I know have a thing about asking for help. It’s probably human nature or something deep seeded like that. But when it comes to raising a baby, you’re going to need help at one point. And you should never be afraid to ask, especially when you’re asking family.

We’re lucky enough to have great parents who adore our son. We’re in a bit of a pickle this Friday, our day care has an “in-service” day, and both of us have to work. Rather than one of us having to take the day off, my wife’s mother is driving a couple hours to come down and watch the baby for the day. And, so we wouldn’t have to pay $200 a week in day care costs, my mother practically begged us to let her drive two hours every week and stay with us two days to watch him. Grandparents love their grand kids, and chances are they’d love to help out any way they can. As long as you’re comfortable with it and they’re not intruding on your parenting style or your personal space, there’s no harm in letting them do it.

Parenting, Help, Grandparents

Today’s Tip - You can’t spoil a baby, a little comfort could be just what they need to calm down

We’ve been trying to put our son down to sleep while he’s still awake, so that he learns how to go to sleep without food or any special circumstances. And sometimes he’s laying down on the ground completely fine and then he’ll start wailing for no reason other than the fact that he wants to be held. I don’t buy into the fact that you’ve got to teach babies to self soothe. I could listen to him cry for a half hour while he works things out on his own, or I could pick him up for a minute to calm him down and then he’s fine for his nap or for more playtime on the ground. As the parent, you know what’s right. If your instincts are telling you to pick up your baby and comfort them, do it.

Parenting, Cry

Today’s Tip - Pick out clothes without buttons, which are a choking hazard

Instead of going for clothes with buttons, opt for ones that snap or zip. Your baby can grab ahold of the buttons and rip them off with that iron grip they’re all born with. And since the hand finds the mouth more often than not, they could choke on them.

Clothes that zip and snap are also a lot easier to put on when your baby is squirming all over the place.

Parenting, Safety, Clothing. Button

Today’s Tip - Your baby’s birth certificate should arrive around 3 months after their birth

We just got our son’s birth certificate and social security card today, after what seemed like forever. Seems to be pretty standard, from what I gathered from other parents. When you’re at the hospital, be sure to ask them to start the process of getting your baby’s SS# along with the birth certificate. It is something you have to ask for and it could be a lot bigger hassle if you have to do it yourself. Could take longer too.

Parenting, Social, Security, Number, Birth, Certificate