Month
1
Do yourself
a favor
If you continue to experience difficulties,
this might be a sign of "postpartum blues." You may want to check
out the following consumer health website for more information on
this issue: my.webmd
Where will baby
sleep?
For more information about the dangers
of co-sleeping check out this report from the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission.
Crib safety
You may also want to visit the American
Academy of Pediatrics website. They provide information on choosing
a crib, using a crib and safe bedding practices.
Buckle up baby,
too!
For more information about the selection
of safe car seats for baby, check out the American Academy of
Pediatrics car safety seat guide for families.
Why does baby
cry?
For more ideas on handling
baby's colic you may want to consult WebMD. This website
provides an overview of colic, as well as a list of frequently asked
questions.
Feeding your baby
The La Leche League website also provides
answers to a long list of the most frequently asked questions
about breastfeeding such as "How long should a mother breastfeed?"
and "My breasts are sore. What can I do?" For more information
about bottle feeding check out baby center. This site provides
tips on things such as cleaning the bottles, warming the bottle,
and feeding the baby.
Month 2
Thumb or pacifier?
The American Academy of Pediatrics offers
guidelines on the issue of thumb
sucking and the use of pacifiers for parents. They also
offer advice on shopping for a pacifier and helping children stop
when they get older.
Premature babies
The Medem website provides support for
parents of children
born prematurely. It lists articles and other resources
to help parents successfully cope with the special needs of their
preemie.
Special needs
children
The American Academy of Pediatrics website
provides additional information
and resources for parents of children with special health care needs.
The National Network for Child Care also has articles
on a number of special needs topics, such as behavioral delays,
cognitive delays, physical delays, social-emotional delays, and
speech and language delays.
Baby shots
The American Academy of Pediatrics provides
an updated
immunization schedule on their website. This schedule indicates
the recommended ages for routine administration of childhood vaccines.
The schedule we have provided is a simplified version of theirs.
Comforting crying
babies
For some additional tips on how to comfort
baby check out this link to
Crying on the Medem website.
Child care:
What to look for
For more information on selecting child
care check out these links to Medem
and the National
Network for Child Care (NNCC). They provide a list of questions
to ask when visiting child care settings, and offer advice aimed
at helping you find the child care best suited for your child and
family.
Month 3
Choosing safe
baby toys
For very interesting and informative
tips
on selecting safe toys, take a look at the Kids Health website.
Baby's sisters
and brothers
To find out more about issues related
to sibling rivalry, check out the American Academy of Pediatrics
website. It provides tips
on what parents can do to manage conflicts between siblings.
Never hit or
shake a child!
For information on the causes of "Shaken
Baby Syndrome" please consult
Medem and Saskatchewan
Institute on Prevention of Handicaps websites. These websites
provide advice on how to cope with a crying baby, how to prevent
Shaken Baby Syndrome, and what happens to babies who are shaken.
Their primary message is "NEVER SHAKE A BABY."
Family fire
safety
For more tips on how you can reduce
the risk of fire in your home check out the Parenthood website.
They provide a list of fire safety tips for the kitchen and throughout
the house.
Smokers
The Environmental Protection Agency provides
more information about the risks
of "second hand smoke" for the health of children and adults.
In addition, the sids (sudden infant death) network website presents
research findings on smoking
and the risk for SIDS.
Hiring a babysitter
Check out the Idaho Department of Health
website for more information on selecting
a babysitter.
Month 4
Learning
to talk
For information on the importance of talking
to your baby visit the Scholastic website. This website
provides suggestions for teaching baby new words and using "turn
taking' when talking to baby.
Moving
to a big bathtub
The Health Square website provides advice
on bathing
your baby. This includes information on "what you should
know" about tub bathing and "what you should do"
when bathing baby.
New foods for
baby: Starting solid foods
For more information on introducing
solid foods to baby check out the University of Nebraska
website. It provides advice on when and how to add solid foods to
your baby's diet, as well as suggestions for times to start various
foods such as cereals, fruits, vegetables and meats.
Think twice
about baby walkers
For more information on the dangers
of baby walkers consult the Madison Department of Public
Health website and the
Child's Health website.
Month 5
Child guidance:
Discipline and safety
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
provides more advice on how
to encourage good behavior from infancy. In addition, they
provide a list of keys to effective discipline, as well as suggestions
for disciplinary methods that work.
What is your
baby like
The Preventive Ounce provides an interactive
website where you can fill out a temperament questionnaire on your
baby. This will allow you to learn more about your
child's temperament, what behaviors are "normal" for his/her
temperament, and strategies for handling behaviors that are tailored
to your child's temperament.
Prevent lead
poisoning
For more information on preventing
lead poisoning check out the St. Paul Ramsey County Department
of Public Health website. It also provides answers to common questions
about lead poisoning, such as,"What are the effects of lead?"
and "What should I do if I suspect I have lead paint?"
Babyproof your
home
The Consumer Products Safety Commission
website provides 12
tips on childproofing your home.
Month 6
How baby is
changing
The American Academy of Pediatrics website
provides more information on
teething and children's dental health. They offer advice
on the treatment of teething, the use of fluoride supplements, as
well as on establishing good dental habits.
Child guidance:
Discipline is teaching
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
provides more advice on how
to encourage good behavior from infancy. In addition, they
provide a list of keys to effective discipline, as well as suggestions
for disciplinary methods that work.
First aid for
infant choking
The Baby Center website provides guidelines
for parents on choking
prevention and first aid for infants. This includes information
on how to figure out what is causing the problem, and how to do
rescue breathing or CPR (including illustrations). They advise learning
CPR and calling 911 in emergency situations. The site also
provides links to other pages with advice on how to reduce baby's
risk of choking and foods to watch out for.
Hearing checklist
For information on early
hearing detection and intervention check out the Center
for Disease Control website. This site provides answers to frequently
asked questions (click on FAQ) about hearing detection and treatment
options. It also offers internet links to other organizations
concerned with hearing screening and services for hearing impaired
children and their families.
Baby's hearing
The Kidshealth website provides more information
on all
your baby's senses - sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch.
It also gives parents a list of warning signs that may indicate
hearing or vision problems.
Month 7
Child guidance:
Keeping calm
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
provides more advice on how
to encourage good behavior from infancy. In addition, they
provide a list of keys to effective discipline, as well as suggestions
for disciplinary methods that work.
Baby's eyes
The Kidshealth website provides more information
on your
baby's sight and other senses - hearing, taste, smell and
touch. It also gives parents a list of warning signs that may indicate
vision or hearing problems.
Language games
For information on the importance of
talking
to your baby visit the Scholastic website. This website
provides suggestions for teaching baby new words and using "turn
taking' when talking to baby.
Sun safety
For more tips on keeping
baby safe in the sun check out the Babycenter safety website.
They provide information on how to prevent sunburn and how to treat
a mild sunburn.
Traveling with
a baby
For more tips on traveling
with an infant check out the University of Michigan Children's
Hospital website. This site includes information on car, air, and
train travel, as well as tips for taking babies out to restaurants.
The La Leche League also answers questions about traveling
with a breastfed baby.
About weaning
The La Leche League provides additional
information on weaning,
including ideas on how to wean your baby, and suggestions for when
sudden weaning is necessary.
Month 8
Car safety
The American Academy of Pediatrics provides
more information about the selection
of safe car seats for baby on their website.
Establish routines
for baby
Check out the Zero-to-Three website for
more information on the benefits
of routines for baby.
Fear of strangers
The American Academy of Pediatrics website
offers advice on many different health topics. For more information
on fear of strangers, see the article, "My
child is afraid of strangers and never wants to leave my side. Is
this normal?"
Spanking baby
doesn't work
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
provides advice on how
to encourage good behavior from infancy. In addition, they
provide a list of keys to effective discipline, as well as suggestions
for disciplinary methods that work.
Sleep problems
The University of Michigan Health website
offers advice on how
to handle children's sleep problems. This site includes
information on how babies sleep, common sleep problems, and teaching
good sleep habits.
Reading to baby
PBS has a website that offers age-paced
advice on starting to read with baby. Also, the American Academy
of Pediatrics has information on reading
to children of all ages, what to expect and how you can help to
nurture a growing reader.
Tooth care
The American Academy of Pediatrics website
provides more information on
children's dental health. They offer advice on the treatment
of teething, the use of fluoride supplements, as well as on establishing
good dental habits.
New foods for
baby
For more information on new
foods for baby check out the University of Nebraska website.
It provides advice on when to add solid foods to your baby's diet,
as well as suggestions for times to start various foods such as
cereals, fruits, vegetables and meats.
Children of
battered women
The Tri-County Council on Domestic Violence
website provide statistics about the damaging
effects that "witnessing" domestic violence has on children.
Month 9
Learning to
talk
For information on the importance of talking
to your baby visit the Scholastic website. This website
provides suggestions for teaching baby new words and using "turn
taking' when talking to baby.
Lead alert
For more information on preventing
lead poisoning check out the St. Paul - Ramsey County Department
of Public Health website. It also provides answers to common questions
about lead poisoning, such as "how can I tell if my child has
too much lead in his/her body?" and "which children need
to be tested?"
Babyproofing
when baby can stand
The American Academy of Pediatrics provides
safety tips
for children from 6 to 12 months of age. This includes information
on preventing falls, burns, drowning, poisoning and choking. The
Babycenter safety website also contains suggestions for babyproofing
around the house, and offers links to related safety topics.
Helping curiosity
grow
For more ideas on activities to enhance
your infant's development check out the National Network for
Child Care website. They provide examples of how infants learn
through exploration, and ways parents can create a safe learning
environment.
Your baby's
sisters and brothers
To find out more about issues
related to sibling rivalry, such as "why do my kids fight"
and "how can I help my kids get along," visit the KidsHealth
website.
Active play
with baby
For information on the causes of "Shaken
Baby Syndrome" please consult
Medem and Saskatchewan
Institute on Prevention of Handicaps websites. These websites
provide advice on how to cope with a crying baby, how to prevent
Shaken Baby Syndrome, and what happens to babies who are shaken.
Their primary message is "NEVER SHAKE A BABY."
Baby learns
to feed himself
For more information on finger
foods for baby check out the University of Nebraska website.
It also provides advice on when and how to add solid foods to your
baby's diet, as well as suggestions for times to start various foods
such as cereals, fruits, vegetables and meats.
Child guidance:
Five keys to good discipline
The Kidshealth website also provides a
list of nine
steps to more effective parenting. The list includes ideas
such as "catching your child being good" and "being a good role
model." These ideas will help you cope with child raising responsibilities
and allow you to enjoy your child too.
Month 10
Child guidance:
Is baby a tease?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
provides more advice on how
to encourage good behavior from infancy. In addition, they
provide a list of keys to effective discipline, as well as suggestions
for disciplinary methods that work.
Getting ready
to walk
For information on keeping
a cruising baby safe check out the baby center safety website.
This site provides advice on how you can keep baby safe without
stifling his/her natural curiosity. It also has links to other safety
related issues such as child proofing checklists.
Special for
employed parents
On the North Dakota State University Extension
website you'll find more information on balancing
work and family, and tips to make things easier.
Practicing to
use a spoon
The nutritionist at parentsplace website
offers a number of hints
to help self feeding go smoothly. These ideas include introducing
finger foods and giving baby a spoon with "sticky" food to start
the learning process.
Eat together
as a family
Check out this website from the Dairy
Council of California for more information about the benefits
of family mealtimes.
Month 11
Child guidance:
Coping with baby's frustration
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
provides more advice on how
to encourage good behavior from infancy. In addition, they
provide a list of keys to effective discipline, as well as suggestions
for disciplinary methods that work. Also, The Preventive Ounce provides
an interactive website where you can fill out a temperament questionnaire
on your baby. This will allow you to learn more about your child's
temperament, what behaviors are "normal" for his/her temperament,
and strategies for handling
behaviors that are tailored to your child's temperament.
Is your baby
highly active?
The Preventive Ounce provides an interactive
website where you can fill out a temperament questionnaire on your
baby. This will allow you to learn more about your child's temperament,
what behaviors are "normal" for his/her temperament, and strategies
for handling behaviors that are tailored to your child's
temperament.
Water safety
The babycenter safety website provides
more information on water
safety for baby and the potential hazards for baby in the
bathtub or at the pool/ lake.
Baby shots reminder
The American Academy of Pediatrics provides
an updated
immunization schedule on their website. This schedule indicates
the recommended ages for routine administration of childhood vaccines.
The schedule we have provided is a simplified version of theirs.
Build your child's
self-esteem
For more information on how you can help
your child develop a healthy
sense of self esteem check out this article by Lilian Katz.
She provides a list of things you can do to support children's self-esteem.
The Canadian Mental Health Association website also presents a number
of steps
to help children develop self-esteem.
Do yourself
a favor
The iVillage website suggests a number
of ways mothers can "take
time for themselves,"
while dealing with the other demands on their time.
Month 12
When to toilet
train
The Medem website provide guidelines for
parents on toilet training. This includes information on getting
ready for toilet training and how to teach your 2-to-3-year-old
child to use the toilet.
Is your baby
cautious?
The Preventive Ounce provides an interactive
website where you can fill out a temperament questionnaire on your
baby. This will allow you to learn more about your child's temperament,
what behaviors are "normal" for his/her temperament, and strategies
for handling behaviors that are tailored to your child's
temperament.
Sex roles
For more information on how educators/parents
can help young children grow beyond the traditional gender roles
check out this article on Dolls,
Trucks, and Identity. By promoting gender equity it is believed
that parents can raise "competent" girls and "caring" boys.
Learning starts
early
For information on how parents can help
their children's
language and literacy development, check out the Zero to Three
website. This is an interactive website dedicated solely to the
healthy development of infants and toddlers. In addition, try this
short article by University of Georgia Extension that provides 10
facts about brain development and things you can do to promote
early
brain development.
Prevent childhood
poisoning
The babycenter safety website provides
additional information on poison-proofing
your house. They present a list of specific steps to take
to poison proof that include - conducting a room by room inventory
of hazardous substances and never referring to any kind of medicine
as candy.
Many babies
want to suck
The American Academy of Pediatrics offers
guidelines on the issue of thumb
sucking and the use of pacifiers for parents. They also
offer advice on shopping for a pacifier and helping children stop
when they get older.
What to feed
baby
For more information on feeding
your infant and toddler check out the MedlinePlus website. You
will find advice specific for the age of your child, as well as
numerous articles on various nutrition topics.
Child guidance:
Setting limits
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
provides more advice on how
to encourage good behavior from infancy. In addition, they
provide a list of keys to effective discipline, as well as suggestions
for disciplinary methods that work.
