Baby and Toddler - Develop Skills in Your Toddler

Understanding who your child is, is essential for promoting healthy development. If you know what their strengths are and know where they need support, then you are on the right track for your 2-3 year olds' development.

When children are two years old they can usually speak between 200-250 words. When they are three, they can put two sentences together containing three or four words. Even with all of this vocabulary, toddlers still have a hard time expressing their emotions. This can leave them very frustrated and powerless. There are a couple things you can do to help. Having conversations with your child will help boost their language skills and makes them feel important. Try to find out what your child likes to talk about and engage them in a conversation. Also read to them as much as possible. By letting your two year old know that you understand the frustration they are experiencing will help calm them down and will make it much easier for them to tackle the challenge. Figure out how your child handles their difficult feelings and situations. This will help you to calm them down and show them the right way to handle their emotions.

Playtime is very important for your two year old child. It will build in all areas of their development. When they play, they interact more with friends, they use pretend play to help understand things in a more complex way and they learn important concepts like big and small and up and down. Try to get more involved in their pretend play. Note what they like to pretend to do and join the fun. When you do this it will help build a strong connection between the two of you and it can help encourage creativity.
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Making plans for your child to spend time with other children will give them the pleasure in making new friends. The more time they get spending with other children the more they learn to get along with each other. It is a good social skill to build on. As many of you know, two year olds are very active, with their constant running, jumping and climbing. These motor skills allow them the freedom to explore in new ways. Try to spend as much time outside as you can. There will be plenty of room to run and jump safely. Taking them to a park to play with other children is great. Get your child involved in family sports like swimming and soccer on the lawn. They will benefit a lot from it and let's not forget the benefits of nap time!! Go on walks with them and take time to discuss what they see. Compare things like houses and cars, it will help teach concepts of big and small. They will get a chance to explore other things that they see. If you can't go outside due to weather then create a safe place in your home that they can prowl around and explore different stations you create.
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These few steps will help your two year old develop the skills for a bright imagination and prepare them socially. They will also learn to express themselves better and reduce the frustrations for both of you.

Michael Russell

Your Independent Baby and Toddler guide.

Do You Know When Your Child Becomes A Toddler?

Most experts define a toddler as a child from 13 months old to the age of 24 months. This seems to be a generally accepted rule of thumb, since, according to babycenter.com, three-fourths of toddlers are walking on their own by then. For simplicity, we say children are toddlers at 13 months, even if they are not walking. If your child still hasn't stopped crawling, it just means walking on his/her own is going to take a little longer.

While my son, Carlos, was walking by 13 months, my daughter, Angelina, did not start walking until she was 18 months old. Since she was not learning to walk, Angelina was learning other things like finger dexterity and good hand/eye coordination. When I compared her to other children her age who were walking, I thought she seemed to have better hand-eye coordination and greater finger dexterity. For example, she could pick up Cheerios with two fingers while the other child could not.
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We did not realize how different our daughter and our son would be. My daughter liked to sit still and play with all the toys within her reach. While she crawled around a lot, she could be content in a single spot for 20 minutes at a time.
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My son, Carlos, definitely toddled when he was first walking. I used to tell people that he trips over the cracks in the ground, because he was constantly falling over things and tripping on anything in his path. He is different from Angelina, because he will not stay in one place for longer than about 5 minutes.
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Soon after he started walking, he would also push things around the room. Chairs and baskets, boxes and toys--if they moved, he would move them around the room. Once his sister, Angelina, showed him how chairs could be used as stools to climb to higher locations, nothing is safe any more. Carlos and Angelina both move chairs over and then climb up on them to reach anything they want off tables or countertops. Since Carlos learned some of this from his sister, he is displaying the same behavior despite being 2 years younger.

But often Carlos will climb just because he can. He has many scrapes and bruises from his climbing adventures. In addition to climbing, now that he is approaching his 2nd birthday, he has moved on to running. This does not mean he has mastered turning in time, but instead corners by running into walls to help change directions quickly.

In April (2006) I will no longer have a toddler in the house, as my toddler will turn 2 years old, and four days later his sister will become 4 years old. Now that both children can run, they spend a lot of time doing exactly that. In fact this desire to always be moving and playing is what makes "time-out" so effective. Both children hate to be put in "time-out" when they are bad.

Written by William E. Petersen, author of the e-zine called Daddy Resource and the website http://www.DaddyResource.com - A Practical Resource to Help Dads Grow. William is a father of two children, Angelina who is four and Carlos who is two. He lives with his wife and children in Texas.

How to Take Better Photos of Your Baby or Toddler

Every Mom wants to take great photos of their babies and toddlers. We all want professional looking photos for our children without paying a fortune! This better baby photo article will help you take the best photos you can and you don't even have to own an expensive camera.

When I had my first baby 4 years ago, I became extremely interested in photography. I wanted to capture every precious moment and every important milestone on film. I am sure you are just like me in wanting to take these same precious photos of your baby or toddler. I now use a digital camera and take professional looking photos everyday of my 2 little boys from these 5 simple tips below. These 5 tips will help you take better baby and toddler photos.
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1.) The first tip I suggest is to be aware of the lighting. The best place to take photos is outside in a natural setting. You should take photos early in the morning or late in the evening right before the sun sets. Remember to use your flash for fill flash outside. This lighting produces stunning results!
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2.) The second tip I suggest is to get closer to your baby or toddler and get down to their level. Never photograph your baby or toddler from above.

3.) The third tip I suggest is to make the setting/background simple. Try to place your child near a simple or plain background.
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4.) The fourth tip I suggest is to take lots and lots of photos. The more photos you take, the more photos you will have to choose from. You may just get lucky with an adorable one of a kind photo of your baby! You may capture the perfect moment! So, never stop taking pictures!

5.) Invest in a good digital camera. It doesn't have to be an expensive digital camera. You can buy a good digital camera for under $300. I use an inexpensive Kodak digital camera and great photos of my baby every time.

You are now on your way to taking better baby and toddler photos.

Copyright 2005 -All Rights Reserved About The Author: Amanda Compton is a work at home mom to 2 little boys. She owns and publishes a fun site for Babies and Moms, http://www.ContestForMoms.com featuring a free baby photo contest, mom forums, and lots of baby & mom information!

Feel free to re-print this article provided that all hyperlinks and author biography are kept as-is

Tips for Parenting a Toddler

Parenting a toddler can truly restore you because of the playful nature and share wonder of the child. But at the very same time it can be one of the most trying responsibilities that you will ever face. It is not always a pleasant task raising children so with that in mind I have compiled some less-obvious parenting principles geared to help you raise a perceptive, secure and happy child. Specifically, these suggestions are to help you find sensible ways to handlWhen your child becomes upset and starts screaming you must first, and you'll be surprised to read this, be sure that you remain calm before you do anything. Put your focus on yourself. At least try it and see what happens. Let me explain.

You obviously want to comfort your child and sooth them in any manner possible. But in order to be the most effective at doing this, you must feel better yourself. You cannot help anyone else if you cannot help yourself, and parenting a toddler is certainly no exception.
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Kids will pick up on your emotions and an instance, especially the negative ones. You do not have to believe in any New Age garbage to be able to "feel the mood in the air." The manner in which to move and speak are easily picked up by even the youngest of children. Kids are anything but dumb, and I'm sure you already know that.
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During the explanations of airplane safety procedures, they always insist that you put your own oxygen mask on first, and then put the oxygen mask on your child. This is a striking example, and a perfect metaphor for what I am suggesting about parenting a toddler, or any age child for that matter.
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You cannot help your child if you are incapacitated or functioning at a subpar level. Kids learn by watching and doing. Always keep this in mind. Look within and see if you are feeling uncomfortable. Slow down. Take some breaths. Even in the most chaotic of times you must always focus on being calm and in control of your emotions.

Shift your attention inward. Parenting a toddler is not easy, but you must find some centeredness despite the chaos. Be willing to try. Put yourself in the child's shoes and know that they look to you for everything. Your kids will pick up on things that you have no idea that they even notice. These are the very things that make parenting a toddler so incredibly important.

You may think that putting your own emotions first is somehow selfish but if you truly understand what I've been trying to say you realize that it is anything but. It means that you put your child to first and truly love them. You must open your heart first, and this will subliminally teach your child to do the same. Parenting a toddler is all about doing what is best for the child and in many cases that means doing what is best for you.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning family and parenting. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Parenting a Toddlere your toddlers unhappy moods. Here is what I believe to be some helpful advice:

Baby and Toddler - About SIDS

The one thing all parents think about and worry about with their newborn baby is SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. SIDS is a sudden unexplained death of an infant under the age of one. Even after a complete autopsy, examination of the scene where the infant died and a reviewing the medical history of the infant, the death cannot be explained. The typical situation would be a parent would go and check on the baby while it slept only to find that the baby had passed away. A seemingly healthy happy baby has died. Maybe it is a lack of answers that makes SIDS so scary. It is the leading cause of death in infant ages one month to one year. SIDS claims about 2500 lives a year in the United States alone.

SIDS is not preventable. The parent can reduce the risk by placing the baby on their back to sleep. When the "Back to Sleep" campaign started in 1992 the SIDS incidences dropped 40%. Do not use a bumper pad, make sure the mattress is firm and no pillows or toys. Avoid using heavy blankets. Make sure the room temperature is comfortable for the baby to sleep in with just a light blanket. SIDS is not suffocation and it is not caused by vomiting and choking. SIDS is not caused by colds, infections or by the DPT immunization shot or any other immunizations. It is not contagious or caused by child abuse or neglect.
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SIDS death happens quickly and usually during sleep. SIDS is not very common in the first month. The highest occurrences of SIDS happen to infant's ages 2 to 4 months and drops significantly after 6 months. Most cases of SIDS are reported in the fall and winter months and it happens to boys more than girls. Infants who are from an African-American and American-Indian decent have a higher risk of SIDS.
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If you are a mother-to-be make sure you get prenatal care within the first three months of pregnancy and then get regular check ups at your doctor's office. You will need to make an effort to have good nutrition. Don't smoke or use recreational drugs. Take every precaution not to get pregnant as a teen. If you are a teen and have already had one baby, try not to have another until you are older. The SIDS rate is highest for the babies born to teenage mothers. The more babies the teenage mother has the higher the risk of SIDS for that infant. Try to wait a year between pregnancies. The shorter time between pregnancies the higher the risk.
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For parents who already have a baby, don't expose them to tobacco smoke. Don't smoke in the house or car or allow your baby in a house or car that has tobacco smoke in it. Breast feeding decreases the occurrence of respiratory infections. Breast fed babies have a lower occurrence of SIDS. And use the tips above for putting your baby to bed. Make sure your baby has regular check ups.

Very recent studies have shown that babies who go to sleep with a pacifier have a lower risk of SIDS. While babies can be brought to bed for nursing make sure you put them back in their crib or bassinet. Keeping the crib or basinet in your bedroom has also been linked to a lower risk of SIDS.

There are maternal risk factors as well. If the mother is less that 20 years of age, there is a short interval between pregnancies, late or no prenatal care. If the mothers smoked during and after the pregnancy there is higher risk. Placental abnormalities, low weight gain, anemia, alcohol and substance abuse and a history of sexually transmitted diseases have been linked to a higher risk of SIDS.

Michael Russell

Your Independent Baby and Toddler guide.

How to Get a Toddler to Eat Fish

Getting a toddler to eat something that is good for them, or that you think they should eat, should not become a battle of wills. Sometimes with children, the presentation is everything, and they forget what is underneath the fanciful decorations or shapes. Fish is one of the few foods that doesn't lend itself well to disguises that are cute. But you can make it an undercover favorite with a little creative cooking that even Mom and Dad will enjoy.

First, you need to ask yourself how important it is that your child has fish. If you really want them to eat it, you may have to be willing to give way on other issues such as how it is prepared. There are a variety of frozen food companies that present fish in stick, and even fish shapes. But these are wrapped in crumbs, and sometimes partly deep friend before you cook them in the oven. This might not be ideal, but if they will eat it, and get the taste of fish, it may open the door to other, and better choices.
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The other options are mostly those that appeal to taste. An excellent way of serving fish is in a sauce. A fillet of haddock can be baked quite nicely with just mushroom or another creamed soup poured over it. If you cut off a child size portion, you can even decorate it with some curls of celery for hair, and sliced pickles for eyes before serving. Use your imagination here.
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A lot of children love cheese. Bake your fish until half done, then cover it in shredded cheddar. Not only do they get the taste they like, but the extra protein that cheese offers.

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