Basic Baby Bath Fun

Make your baby’s baths fun, safe, and stress-free with our tips

After your child’s umbilical cord has fallen off, it’s safe to hit the baby tub a few times a week. Water should be warm but not hot. Use a dab of mild dye- and perfume-free baby wash, and follow safety precautions such as keeping one hand on baby at all times. Go slow and enjoy this sweet ritual.

When to Start Tub Baths?

Give your baby a sponge bath until his umbilical cord has fallen off. (If he’s been circumcised, wait until that heals too.) After that, he’ll be ready for a baby bathtub. Choose one that has a contoured design or an internal sling that prevents your baby from sliding. Never use a bath seat — these can tip over when the suction cups fail, trapping your child underwater.

The True Meaning of Thanksgiving

Child’s Play

Benjamin Aha, 4, may not fully understand why his family is spending Thanksgiving at the Ronald McDonald House in Camden, New Jersey. But the little volunteer fills an important role: helping make sure the sick children who are staying there are having a good time. “Ben is a really compassionate boy,” says his mother, Maureen. “He knows if people aren’t feeling well or need an extra boost.”

The Ronald McDonald houses serve as a temporary home for families of seriously ill children who are being treated at a nearby hospital. Holidays can be particularly difficult, so volunteers like Ben and his family try to create as normal an atmosphere as possible. “Most people in this situation are consumed by their child’s illness, and a holiday meal provides a welcome distraction,” says Maureen, a school-benefits assistant who has volunteered here for ten years. She got involved through her mother, Judi Godor, who has devoted one weekend a month for the past 17 years to the Ronald McDonald House. Maureen’s husband, Chris, who works in the technology field, and sons Ben and baby Jeffrey often come along. Maureen knows her children are too young to understand why they’re there. But she believes that including them will help shape their values.”Children are open to all kinds of experiences,” she says. “If you instill the idea of volunteering early on, they’ll want to take some time out to help others when they’re older.”

Happy Thanksgiving

The True Meaning of Thanksgiving

Serving Dinner, Spreading Joy

The morning air is clear and cold as the Watz-Hittler family piles out of the car by a small white building in downtown Minneapolis. Annemarie, Caroline, and Nicholas — ages 10, 13, and 15 — have come here with their parents to serve Thanksgiving dinner to 75 elderly people, just as they’ve been doing for years. “My kids have grown up with this,” Donna explains. She and husband Bill, both attorneys, have spent almost every holiday here since the kids were born. “This year, we asked the children if they’d rather have dinner at home or with relatives instead, and they all said no,” Donna says.

Inside the festive hall, Nicholas and Bill tie on white aprons and begin chopping fruit and washing dishes. Donna and the girls set the tables with china, crisp white cloths, and centerpieces of balloons and flowers. “When the kids were younger, they couldn’t play an active role like this,” Donna says. “To keep them occupied while we worked, we had them do things like coloring pictures of turkeys.” Over time, though, the children have grown increasingly helpful and comfortable with the volunteer work. As the guests arrive for dinner, the kids help take coats and fill out name tags. When it’s time to eat, they spread out among the guests. “Initially, the kids would only sit with us, but now they feel comfortable enough to take any open spot,” Donna says.

These occasions make Donna and Bill particularly proud of their children. “If there’s a job to be done — if someone needs butter, say — they’ll handle it,” Donna says.”The things we nag them to do at home seem to come naturally here.” What’s more, the children truly enjoy sharing the holiday with people who might otherwise be alone. “Some of the elderly have few chances to interact with young people. Our kids bring them as much joy as they bring to us.”

Happy Thanksgiving

Baby to Kids Boutique

Kid-Friendly Thanksgiving Menu

Turkey Day will go off without a hitch when you include dishes designed for a kid’s picky palate. Try our recipes for childproof twists on Thanksgiving favorites — that you’ll enjoy too

Sweet-Potato Crunch

Sweet potatoes can be a hard sell to the under-10 set. Try sweetening the superfood with orange peel and pumpkin-pie spice, then top with a crunchy layer of corn flakes, brown sugar, and pecans. You just might win a few converts.

Directions1. Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan; add enough salted water to cover them, and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Transfer to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat in 1/2 stick butter, the granulated sugar, orange peel, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt. Transfer to a baking dish. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.

2. In a small bowl, mix together corn flakes, brown sugar, and pecans. Melt remaining 1/2 stick butter, and stir into corn-flake topping. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.

3. On Thanksgiving Day, remove potatoes and topping from refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Heat oven to 375°F. Heat sweet potatoes in microwave for 20 minutes at 50 percent power to warm. Stir. Sprinkle topping over potatoes and bake in oven for 20 minutes.

Ice Cream Pumpkin Pie

We’ve heard of picky eaters not liking pie. But ice cream pie? Not possible. To make this twist on classic pumpkin pie, scoop chocolate chip ice cream onto a cooled graham cracker crust. Then spread a layer of vanilla ice cream — punched up with canned pumpkin — over the top and garnish with chocolate curls

Ingredients

• 18 graham cracker boards
• 1/2 cup(1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoonscinnamon sugar
• 1 pint chocolate chip ice cream, softened
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1 cupsolid pack pumpkin
• Chocolate curls for garnish, optional

Directions1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In food processor, pulse graham crackers to form fine crumbs. Add butter and 1 tablespoon of the sugar; pulse to moisten crumbs. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove to a rack; cool completely.

4. Spread the softened chocolate chip ice cream over the bottom of the cooled crust. Freeze until hardened, about 3 hours.

5. In a medium-size bowl, mix together the vanilla ice cream, pumpkin and remaining tablespoon of cinnamon sugar. Spread over the top of the frozen chocolate chip layer. Freeze 3 hours or overnight.

6. To serve, garnish with chocolate curls if desired. If frozen overnight, let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings

Happy Thanksgiving

Baby to kids Boutique

Ear Infections 411

If your child is like most kids, she gets an ear infection once in a while. Do you really have to take her to the doctor every single time? Can she pass the infection on to her friends? And most importantly, what’s the best way to treat an ear infection and make your little one feel better? We have all of the answers.

Skimping on hygiene

Always wash your child’s hands and toys often. If he’s exposed to fewer germs, he may not contract as many colds that invite bacteria into his ears. Attending a daycare with six or fewer children, if possible, can also reduce his risk of infection.

Relying on pacifiers

Studies show that babies who stop using pacifiers after 6 months of age have one-third fewer ear infections than kids who hang onto them. Sucking may change the pressure balance between the air and nasal passages, making it more difficult for fluid to drain properly.

Bottlefeeding

Infants who breastfeed are less prone to ear infections because a mother’s milk passes along immunity that protects the middle ear. If you bottlefeed, hold your baby in an upright, seated position to prevent formula from entering the middle ear and establishing a breeding ground for bacteria. And don’t give your baby a bottle while she’s lying in bed.

Inhaling secondhand smoke

This irritates and swells the passage connecting the middle ear and nose, making it easier for infections to take hold.

Skipping the pneumococcal vaccine

It fights diseases like pneumonia and bacterial meningitis-and it reduces cases of middle ear infections in infants and children.

Child’s Desire to Learn

Teach her that mistakes are a part of life.

School is a key time for learning, but it can also be one of anxiety. Many kids worry about being embarrassed in front of their peers if they don’t know the answer or do something the wrong way. Try to counter this hesitancy by acknowledging your own goofs: “Whoops. I drove right by Nicole’s house. I guess we’ll have to go around the block again.” This sends the message that no one is perfect. When your child makes a mistake, you should also turn it into a positive. You might say, for instance, “You’re really good at making those E’s. Now just try to draw them facing the other way.” Also, always answer your child’s questions and never belittle them (“C’mon, you know the answer to that”), even if a query seems silly to you.

Help him develop a cool hobby.

As kids learn more about the world, they often discover a single subject that’s especially intriguing to them. Artwork may absorb one child, while another might set his sights on outer space. “If a child has a special interest in something, learning becomes exciting,” says Sally Reis, Ph.D., coauthor of Light Up Your Child’s Mind.

Instead of pushing your child to pursue something because you like it, give him opportunities to find his own things to pursue. Visit the zoo or an art museum, go on hikes, show him interesting stamps or coins, or point out flowers, birds, rocks, or the night sky in your own backyard.

If he seems interested, encourage him to start a collection. At 2, Ethan Gaynor, of Nutley, New Jersey, started picking out plastic animals to play with from a local craft store. His mom, Luisa, would cap off each purchase with a trip to the library to find a matching book. “Eventually, we moved from animal books to dinosaurs,” she says. By then he was hooked. Three years later he won first prize in the school science fair for a project on dinosaur diets. “Children who become collectors — especially of scientific things like leaves, bugs, shells, and flowers — almost always delve deeply into the subject,” says Dr. Acredolo. “And that often leads to their becoming avid learners in general.”

Baby to Kids Boutique

Stimulating Your Child’s Curiosity

Kids who enjoy learning tend to explore things more deeply. So encourage observation: Point out details he might not otherwise notice, such as the whorls of a fingerprint or thepatterns on a lace curtain .

“Instilling a passion for learning is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kids,” says Linda Acredolo, Ph.D., a Parents advisor and coauthor of Baby Minds: Brain-Building Games Your Baby Will Love. That’s not to say you should overlook skills such as reading and arithmetic. But keep this in mind: “Kids who enjoy learning tend to explore things more deeply, work harder, and be more successful in school and in life,” says Kathy Seal, coauthor of Motivated Minds: Raising Children to Love Learning. These strategies will keep the learning process fresh throughout the early years.

Leave time for independent play.

If you’ve ever watched a toddler endlessly fill, empty, and refill a bucket with sand, you know that all kids are scientists by nature. But this process of experimentation can’t happen unless you let your child check out the world on his own terms. “Give him time and room to do things on his own,” says Margery B. Franklin, Ph.D., professor emerita of psychology at Sarah Lawrence College, in Bronxville, New York. Resist the urge to jump in and help him at the first sign of frustration; children need to learn how to solve things themselves. “The answers, in learning and in life, don’t always come right away,” says Kyle Pruett, Ph.D., a Parents advisor and coauthor of Partnership Parenting. “Most kids need your help to develop perseverance.”

Encourage observation.

Taking a closer look at everyday objects will make them seem more intriguing to your child. Point out details she might not otherwise notice, such as the whorls of a fingerprint or the patterns on a lace curtain. On walks around town, Marla Barr, of New York City, used to play “Tell me what you see” with her then 2-year-old daughter, Julia. “I showed her the American flag and asked her to point out all the flags she could find on our stroll,” says Barr. In turn, Julia asked her mom to identify any new thing she observed (such as a mailbox or a garbage truck) and then tried to find other examples of it.

Baby to Kids Boutique

Must-Know Germ Fighters

Our experts share their top tips for protecting your little one from bad bugs.

The biggest danger to babies is other people’s hands,” says Ken Haller, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, in Missouri. In fact, more than 80 percent of germs are transmitted by touch. Ask anyone who wants to hold your baby to first wash her hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. Because telling strangers to wash their hands isn’t practical or polite, it may be easier to say, “I’m sorry, but my baby gets sick very easily, so I don’t like too many people touching him.”

Stay Clear of Crowded Places

Experts agree that it’s a good idea to limit where you take your baby during his first weeks. While a stroll in the park is fine, a trip to the mall is not. That’s because newborns can easily pick up a bug when exposed to large numbers of people in a confined space. To be safe, keep her away from crowded places — especially those with lots of kids — for the first four to six weeks.

Place Formula in the Fridge

To keep freshly prepared formula from spoiling, never leave it unrefrigerated for more than an hour. Just-pumped breast milk, however, can be kept at room temperature for up to six hours, according to La Leche League International. Why the difference? Breast milk is loaded with antibodies and other substances that help keep bacteria at bay.

Wash Your Baby’s Clothes Separately

“Since family members’ clothes — especially underwear — may contain contaminants that could wind up on your baby’s sensitive skin, it’s best to do her laundry separately,” says Philip M. Tierno Jr., Ph.D., director of clinical microbiology at New York University Medical Center and author of The Secret Life of Germs. It’s also smart to occasionally run an empty cycle of bleach and hot water to kill bacteria that may be lurking in the machine.

Be Smart About Sterilizing

If pacifiers and bottles are brand-new, boil them before their first use. After that, wash them in the dishwasher or in warm, soapy water. Should you sterilize water for formula? “If your water comes from a municipal supply, unboiled tap water is fine — it’s rigorously tested and monitored,” says Roy Benaroch, M.D., assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at Emory University, in Atlanta. If your water comes from a well, have it tested for fecal contamination, nitrates, and heavy metals. Depending on the results, it may be best to boil it or even to use bottled water.

Throw Out Unfinished Milk or Formula

Whether you feed your baby breast milk or formula, throw out any leftovers as bacteria and digestive enzymes from a baby’s saliva can backwash into the bottle and cause contamination. The same goes for baby food: Bacteria from a used spoon can taint what’s in the jar. So if you’re not going to use the whole thing, put just the portion you’ll need in a bowl.

Hand Sanitizers — 4 Things to Know About Them

Fact 1: It works.

It can be as effective as soap and water. But soap loosens dirt and bacteria off the skin and helps wash it down the drain; sanitizers kill viruses and bacteria. So if your child has any dirt or grime on his hands, he should wash them instead.

Fact 2: The dose is important.

Kids need to cover their hands entirely with a nickel- or quarter-size dollop. And they should get some under their nails by scraping their palms. Don’t let them wipe any off on their pants; that reduces effectiveness.

Fact 3: Ingredients matter.

Products with any less than 60 percent alcohol aren’t effective and may actually encourage bacterial growth. It’s best for now to stick with traditional alcohol-based gels.

Fact 4: Babies shouldn’t use it.

Their skin is very thin and delicate, so the chance of alcohol absorption is high. Still, there are rarely major effects from exposure in kids under 6, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

Originally published in the November 2010 issue of Parents magazine

Four Ways to Prevent Infections This Winter

When it comes to avoiding viruses, pediatricians say that these are four essentials.

Vaccines

In addition to making sure your child has a flu vaccine, keeping her up-to-date with all her regular immunizations will protect her from pneumonia, meningitis, ear infections, and whooping cough.