Parenting tips for babies and toddlers

Defending your parenting choices – Have you ever been attacked by another parent (or even someone who isn’t a parent) because of something you do or don’t do with your own child? Have you attacked other parents because you have a different opinion than them?

Mommy “Growth” Time – Until recently, I haven’t had much interaction with other moms. I’m a work at home mom so I don’t get out much. Now that my kids are in preschool and kindergarten, I get to talk to other moms who have kids the same age as mine and I have to say that it’s a breath of fresh air! It’s amazing how it can make a positive impact.

Just Another Mommy Moment – Now I don’t feel so bad that my son farted in the drugstore and blamed it on me.

A concerned parent recently emailed me with a question that I thought I’d share. She is worried about her son not being able to say more than “mama” and “papa” at 22 months old.

My son turned 3 in February and at the time, he didn’t have very many words in his vocabulary yet. I was worried because a lot of other kids his age that I know were speaking full sentences.

It’s been 7 months since then and now I can’t get him to stop talking! He seemed to develop a huge vocabulary overnight. My daughter (who is now 5 years old) was the same way. In fact, almost any baby I know is similar.

When it comes to development, it’s important to remember that each child develops at their own pace. Nobody is the same so it’s hard to judge when the right time is that they should be saying certain words or doing certain things.

As long as they’re healthy and continuing to grow and develop, everything should be fine.

To help your child learn how to communicate, speak to them all the time. When you’re out for a walk, talk about the things you see. When you’re at home, have conversations with them, even if it seems a bit one-sided.

Reading to your child often will also help them with their vocabulary skills. Dr. Seuss books have always been a favorite with my kids. They’re also recommended by teachers to help children learn how to speak and read.

Around 19-24 months, your child may be able to string a few words together to form short sentences. If they aren’t at that point yet, you can have your family doctor evaluate him. He may even be referred to a speech-language pathologist.

Just remember that if your child isn’t talking at the same level as another child who is the same age, it doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong. They may just need a bit more time like my own son did.

During my pregnancies, I had a lot of people coming up to me and rubbing my belly. Some people just love to touch a pregnant mommy’s tummy. Sometimes, those pregnancy mommies love it too. Other mommies, not so much. A lady I worked with said she used to freak out on anyone who touched her tummy without asking. If they did ask, she would say “no”.

I didn’t like it when strangers felt my tummy, but friends and family were always welcome. How about you?

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Each Tuesday I’ll be posting a short but helpful tip that I’ve either learned myself through experience or through other parents. Parenting isn’t all about instinct. A lot of it involves trial and error. Something a lot of parents struggle with is sleep. I know I sure did. My babies slept really well but they both had stages where they would wake up extremely early.

If the sun comes up early and your child is up and ready to go even though you just got to bed, try using a timer on a nightlight in their room. Even if they’re very young, you can still explain to them each night that it’s only time to get up when the nightlight goes off. Eventually they will understand.

Many parents have had success with this and it has helped them add at least another blissful hour of sleep to their morning.

I mentioned in my last post that wraps were great to pack for lunch, and since Mondays will now be Recipe Mondays, I thought I’d kick it off with a delicious wrap recipe.

Enjoy!

Healthy Chicken Salad Wrap

Ingredients:
2 – 3 medium flour tortillas
2 cooked chicken breasts, diced
¼ cup red and yellow bell peppers, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp plain yogurt
¼ cup cheddar cheese cubed or shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Add chicken, cheese, mayonnaise, yogurt, bell peppers and celery into a bowl and mix well. Add salt and pepper. Warm tortilla slightly to make it easier to fill. Place ½ – 1 cup of chicken filling on top of the tortilla and wrap.

A wrap is a nice break from boring sandwiches and there are lots of great flavors for tortillas like spinach, sundried tomatoes, pesto, etc. that you can choose from.