Introducing Solids.

So I feel like I'm at a cross roads right now. My sweet little girlies are almost 4 months old, and with that, they are only two weeks away from being given a green light to solids. But I can't decide if I want to go ahead, or if I want to wait!

With my first, I waited until he was 6 months old. But with the girls I really can't decide. I know that there is the whole "if they are ready/interested" thing, and in that sense, they seem to be. But I'm posting this more to see what you think, did you wait longer, did you jump in eagerly into feeding solids and seeing all the funny faces? Did you really start with the cereal, or did you just went straight for the fruits and veggies (that's what I did with my first). And if you waited, why did you decide to wait?

Anyway... what were your experiences with introducing solids like? 

Tummy Time

Hello hello hello??? Is anyone out there there there?

 It's been a while... but we're back.Well, I am at least! A lot has happened since that hospital bag got unpacked, which brings me to todays topic:

Tummy Time!

Tummy time is key to help baby reach physical milestones such as rolling over, crawling and eventually walking. Including tummy time in your little one's routine, whether or not it's a structured activity, is beneficial for many areas of development.

I remember with my first, he hated being on his tummy. He would only stay for a few short minutes until he started complaining. He learned how to roll over soon, but probably in an effort to get off his tummy. On the other hand, my girls love being on their tummy - notice the picture!? 

Introduce your baby to tummy time around the 3- to 4-month mark. At this point, she has better neck strength and control, so she's able to lift and turn her head while lying down. Although, some babies have enough strength as early as 2 months and if that is the case - by all means get them on their tummies! 


Start by placing her on a blanket on the floor and giving her several five- to ten-minute sessions each day. By about 4 months, your baby should be able to lift her chest off the floor and lean on her elbows with her head upright. She may even be able to lift her arms off the floor, arch her back, and kick her feet. As your baby stretches and pushes on the floor, she may accidentally lean to one side, fall over, and roll from her belly onto her back. Don't worry; that's normal. At 5 or 6 months, she will begin to pivot on her belly and use her arms to reach in front of her or to the sides.

Besides the physical benefits of tummy time, giving your infant playtime on his belly will minimize any flat spots on his head he may have gotten from back sleeping. There are also psychological pluses: When your baby learns to make his body do new things, he feels a sense of accomplishment. This gives him the confidence to try new skills as he grows and his coordination improves.

"Make tummy time part of regular play, not a chore," Dr. Shapiro suggests. Supervise your baby's activities -- never leave an infant unattended on her belly. And, of course, continue to put her to sleep on her back.

• Start early. Place your newborn belly-down on your chest or across your lap for a few minutes so he gets accustomed to the position. Just don't do it right after a feeding; pressure on his full abdomen may cause him to spit up.
• Think comfort. Lay your little one down on a flat, clean surface, such as a blanket or play mat on the floor. If she squirms or cries, try some extra padding. Roll up a small receiving blanket and tuck it under her chest.
• Go head to head. Lie down on the floor and get face-to-face with your infant. Make goofy noises and expressions, or sing songs. You might feel silly, but your infant will be less likely to fight being on his belly.
• Give her distractions. Hold a mirror in front of your baby to capture her attention. Or place brightly colored stuffed animals just within her reach. There are also plenty of tummy-time toys that can keep your baby from getting bored.
• Get others in on the act. Encourage friends, relatives, and your child's caregivers to get down on the floor for short periods of tummy time with him as well.

-parents.com

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So what are your views on Tummy Time? What worked and what didn't? Share your experiences!

Learning/Reading Systems

Lately I've been doing a research on what to give to my daughter who will be turning 3 in August because I want to give her something that she'll really enjoy and be engaged in. Not just another toy for our huge collection.
I came accross this learning system called the "MobiGo" by VTech, it just came out and it's recommended for kids ages 3-7. Most of these learning systems are recommended to kids at least 4 years-old, so I was happy this one wasn't. You can also buy different cartriges with her favorite characters and she plays while she learns phonics, numbers, math, etc. Kinda like a Nintendo DS, but aimed for smaller children. It is also touchscreen but it has a slide-out keyboard which is also kinda cool.

My only problem with this kind of stuff is that I'm worried she'll be so focused playing she'll forget about the world around her (just like all those boys that take their PSP everywhere they go and have no idea what's going on around them).
I wish I knew other parents that have bought this for their children to see what they think. Knowing my daughter though, I think she would play with it in the beginning but if she doesn't get it she's only going to pretend play; like she's typing on a computer or something. So I don't think it would be a problem for us.
Now speaking of learning systems, I've also found all kinds of products, like reading systems (a pen that actually "reads" to your child and supposedly brings the story to life), and even an animated reading system in which you put the book inside the system (of course it needs to be a special "cartrige" book) and it turns into a virtual book, you see the story on a screen, flip the pages with a touch of a button, there's music, games, you can touch each word and it will say the word, touch the pictures and they'll come to life, etc.

What the heck?! This seems really cool actually, but is it taking away from the child the experience of actually reading a real book? Are parents too busy nowadays, that they can't read to their children? Is it taking away the child's chance to imagine?

Would this actually take place of real books or be just like any other electronic toy they have, but better since it helps your child learn? Would they be even more interested in books because of the fact that they can remove the book from the learning system and actually flip through the pages and put it back in and see it come to life as if it were something magical?

As you can see, I'm really torn and I can't decide what I really think about these learning systems. I need advice- Even if you're not a mom, even if your kids don't own these, whatever! Just share your opinion and I'd be grateful!


On another note, what do you think would be a great gift for a 3 year-old girl? ;)

Questions for mommies V

Here are some more questions I got from some of you:

- Why do some women take longer to get pregnant than others? Is there anything you can do to be more fertil?

- What challenges did/do you have while breastfeeding and how to overcome them?


Please comment!

Questions for mommies IV

- Did any of you ever give any vitamins for your kids before they were 1?

- How was it when when your children started eating solids? Is it normal if they don't like any kind of baby food whatsoever?

- How do you deal with picky eaters?

Questions for mommies III

I can't remember if I posted these questions already. If I have, let me know!!! But if not, please share your thoughts!

- If you and your spouse are from different countries, how do you teach your kids both languages? And does that affect how and when they start talking?

- Do you prefer a high chair or a booster seat? I don't like how low the booster seat is but I've heard that high chair kinda keeps baby away from the table... Ideas?

- How do you establish and stick to a schedule/routine with your child?

- What do you do when your toddler sends you to time out?

"A Positive Way to Discipline"

There's this website I absolutely love and I always go there when I have a question, anything- They have all kinds of helpful articles. Many of you probably already know the "What to Expect" website.
I keep getting newsletters on my email and I love receiving the ones from this website and also from Baby Center (which is my very favorite). Today I got one that is called "A Positive Way to Discipline". The article is great, it's exactly what I believe in and try to do with my toddlers at home.

Here is a little bit from the article...

Turn negatives into positives. Your little darling has emptied the contents of your drawers onto the floor. Now what? Rather than scold, enlist her help in figuring out a way to remedy the situation ("How can we fix this? How about you help me put this stuff back?"). Praise her when she complies and don't forget to give her a firm, anger-free reminder that "Mommy's things need to stay in Mommy's desk.

Check in. Even if you're busy (especially when you're busy) take time to reach over for a hug, a tickle, or to comment on the progress of her block tower. That way, you'll head off her impulse to get your attention by doing something devilish.

Diffuse the situation. If your toddler is showing signs of defiance ("No! I won't take a bath!"), turn the situation around by using distraction ("Let's go find some fun bath toys!"), humor ("What if we put Mr. Teddy in the bath?"), or reverse psychology ("Don't you dare get into that tub!"). It doesn't take much to amuse a toddler. And diffusing a situation with creative approaches like these allows your child to give in without feeling like she lost a battle. Then you can thank her for her cooperation ("I love how you play in the water!").

If you would like to read the entire thing, click here.

Questions for mommies 2

So this is the continuation of the questions you've submitted a couple weeks ago. I'm posting 2-3 questions every week so if your question isn't on this post, it will probably be on the upcoming posts.


- How do you discipline your toddler?

- What kind of food does your toddler eat?

- How do you deal with picky eaters?
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What are your thoughts on these?

preschool website

I can't afford to send my kids to preschool so I do my own at home preschool with them a few days a week. I am always looking for fun ways to help teach my kids. I just found this fun website that I like and thought I would share it with any of you who have preschool age kids. The link is http://www.starfall.com/

Questions for mommies

A few of you have asked me if we were going to have a day for questions, and I thought that was a great idea!

Since we have had many questions (and you can still keep sending them through facebook or directly to my email) I'm going to post about 2-3 at a time so it won't get so confusing. So if your question isn't on here yet, don't worry, it will be. This is just in order of whoever sent it to me first.

So here they are:

- When and how should I transition my baby from a crib to a toddler bed?

- When did you start potty training your kid? I have a 19 month-old girl and I really want to start potty training her...So I won't have to change diapers anymore.



Now all you have to do is answer whatever you would like! Please share your own experiences if you've already gone through any (or all) of this. If you haven't you're more than welcome to leave tips and suggestions.

Now let's learn from one another, shall we?