Baby Carriers aka Baby Slings Defined Let me first say that I am a man – that’s capital M-A-N. When I first heard baby carrier I quite simply thought – wife! Hold on now before you all, if you haven’t already, labeled me as a capital P-I-G let me continue. I thought for a moment and assumed they were talking about a stroller – those little inexpensive lightweight fold up modes of transportation that have been around for years to push around an infant while shopping, or at the park, or at the zoo, etc. WRONG! OK – how about that padded piece of plastic with a big handle over that seems to have multiple functions? The name of this item escapes me right now. It doesn’t matter since I’m WRONG – again! I give. What is a baby carrier?After a crash course I have learned that there are a vast amount of types of baby carriers that can be basically separated into four different categories. I’ll go more depth on each at a later date and within each category you will also find that the manufacturers vary some in their methods of construction.BABY WRAPS: Baby wraps are quite simply a long piece of cloth that is wrapped around the infant and the person carrying the infant. The material is knotted to keep the child and wrap in place.BABY SLINGS: Baby slings take the knots out of the wrap by sewing the material together where needed or there is a variation that uses a couple of rings to fasten the cloth. MEI TAIS: A mei tai is a type of carrier that consists of a formed area for the infant and is held in place [...] Continue Reading…

 
Dark.
I don’t know that word, but I must communicate. 
I am afraid of the dark.  I don’t know that word “afraid” either, but the story will go on as though I am literate.  I am afraid of the dark, and the night, and of being alone.
They leave me in a cage that has no top.  The cage is in their room.  I know because I hear their breathing.  I smell their body soap.  They are near, yet far away.  Are they angry with me?
A dim sheen of light seeps in through a nearby window, but it only makes the shadows spooky.  There is comfort beneath me, and warmth around me.  But I am alone, and the light is far from being enough.  I cry out my fear.
The big one comes to me, the one they call “da”.  His hands are huge, larger even than my chest.   When he lifts my arm and holds out my hand to touch it, I stop crying.  I smile.
“Ooowwww.”  It hurts.  Sometimes he hits my hand.  I don’t know why.  It is a strange manner of touching.  Now he shakes me, and roars in the thunder tone.  I am very quiet.  At least he is near.  I am no longer alone in the dark.
But he won’t stay.  He never does.  Before leaving, his thunder softens.  He tucks the covers back around my sides and neck. 
I am afraid of the dark.  I don’t want to be alone.  I cry out my fear.
When he returns, his thunder is awesome.  He no longer touches my hand.  But he pulls the cover back and roles me over.  It is a joy to feel his presence. 
He roars and makes mighty sounds as he suddenly pounds his big hands [...] Continue Reading…

Going with your instincts means trusting your baby to develop his or her own unique timetable. It seems common these days to seek endorsement of routines, timed feeds, scheduled feeds, dropped feeds and substituted feeds. The alternative is to (within reason) let your baby indicate the frequency and duration of feeding. There is no fixed date for starting solids. Your baby will let you know when it’s time for something more than breast milk or formula. There are lots of different types of food available when he or she is ready. Similarly, infant-lead weaning will be different for each individual child. Sadly, many ways of mothering and nurturing which have stood the test of time have fallen from favour with our amorous embrace of science and technology.
Focus on your love for your child. The reason instinctive responses are such an integral part of mothering or parenting is that they are triggered by our deep need to protect our offspring. This sets the situation apart from most other modern experiences, and the intensity of your feeling for your baby is the most effective way to initiate instinctive responses.
Maintaining your health and vitality in the months following the arrival of your child can be challenging. Valuable health care advice, rest, exercise and the right foods are fundamental. Staying well hydrated can be overlooked too, so ensure you have a regular intake of fluid.
Your baby is just like you, they love to be touched and massaged. Mothers and fathers are sometimes afraid of hurting their babies, but the very old art of baby massage is now recognised as a gentle bonding supportive remedy. Avoid massage oils with petrochemical bases; instead use the gentle and pure options available. You [...] Continue Reading…

 
With so many different kinds of baby carriers to choose from, why do many babywearing parents recommend baby slings? We all know that baby carriers are meant to let parents use both of their hands while holding and carrying their baby close to their body. These carriers will also help form a special bond between parents and the baby. But aside from the convenience and practicality, what are the other things that set baby slings apart from other types of baby carriers? Why should you choose baby slings over the others?
 
Baby slings are lighter than the other types of baby carriers. Because it made of only cloth or fabric, you can easily make it small by folding it so it would fit inside any type of bag. It is compact enough making it perfect to be used when you are going out with your baby like going to the grocery or mall. This is also perfect for traveling so you will not have any difficulty in carrying your baby.
 
Another reason why you should choose a baby sling is because there are plenty of choices available. You can choose from its many designs and prints and they also come in almost every color that you will prefer. Even if you will have to learn the basic skills of putting on some specific types of baby slings, you will find that baby slings are very easy to use after all. There are ring slings, pouches and adjustable pouches.  Each has its own advantages. The pouch type baby slings are probably the easiest baby carrier to use because all you have to do is to put it over one of your shoulder and around your body. It is [...] Continue Reading…

Some valuable and important questions when interviewing and hiring a nanny are “How do you know that you are leaving your kids with someone reliable and trustworthy?  What questions should I ask when interviewing a nanny or babysitter?  How do you do run a nanny background check and what should search for?”Creating a nanny or babysitter interview process that covers behavioral and emotional segments while assessing the stability and overall experience is essential.  Being consistent and using the same process for every interview will allow you to compare apples to apples.  A major component of the qualification process is determining the nannies knowledge of developmental milestones.    In addition, establishing a thorough, standardized reference check process and following through with a complete nanny background check is critical.We live in a world of online portals built to connect people while opening up the doors of your home to the masses including felons, sexual predators, and sociopaths.  There are a plethora of resources available like www.care.com and www.sittercity.com amongst many other similar sites and resources that promote scouring their databases for nannies and babysitters that can post, advertise, and connect with families looking for help.  Make no mistake about it, these sites can be a valuable resource to find well needed help at a reasonable fee, which can cost a fraction of standard nanny or caregiver agency fees.  However, the average mom or dad does not have a lot of experience interviewing, referencing, and running nanny background checks.   Tips on finding and interviewing a great nanny, babysitter or caregiver are: 1.    Create a questionnaire that covers the most important topics to your family and situational questions.  Use the same form for every interview.  Make sure you collect all [...] Continue Reading…