Teresa Simpson's Blog
Posted by Teresa Simpson
If you're like me, you are always on the lookout for ways to save money. With children, this task can be even more difficult. The following ideas are a few things that have helped my family to pinch a penny or two:
If you have an idea for saving money, start a discussion and share your idea!
Posted by Teresa Simpson
Okay, I will confess. I keep imagining dressing up my seven month old son in his Halloween costume and taking him trick-or-treating. Now, this is silly, to say the least. He can't eat candy yet, nor would he get much out of the process!
So I have been wondering when exactly is a child old enough to trick-or-treat? A friend offered this advice:
"If he is old enough to say 'trick-or-treat,' 'please,' and 'thank you,' then he is old enough to trick-or-treat!"
Sound advice from another mom. So I guess this year, my family and I will pass out candy to the other little goblins that come to our door.
Posted by Teresa Simpson
My son was 10 pounds when he was born and he is 23 pounds now that he is seven months old. While he is also long, it is still difficult to buy clothes for him that fit -- specifically pants like jeans or khakis that have zippers and snaps. In the last couple of weeks, I have had to return numerous pairs of pants to the stores at which I bought them because they were too tight on my son's tummy. Finally, though, I discovered that the baby pants at Target run a little larger in the waist. So if you have a baby who is pleasantly plump, you might want to try Target for those hard to fit clothes!
Posted by Teresa Simpson
As you may have read in my review of cloth diapers (http://infantstoddlers.suite101.com/article.cfm/cloth_diapers), I have recently begun using this method to cover my baby's bottom. I decided that this was one small way in which I could contribute to the family budget. While I do not necessarily regret the choice to switch from disposables, I do wish I had known a few things before I got started:
- Cloth diapers have to be changed a lot more often than disposables.
- Using diaper pins can be scary!
- Folding a diaper for the first time (or second or third) is extremely difficult.
- A poopy cloth diaper is the stuff nightmares are made of.
- Cloth diapers are bulkier than disposables and alter the way a baby's clothes fit.
- Most babysitters have no clue how to change a cloth diaper.
- Most daddies have no clue how to change a cloth diaper, either.
- Cloth diapering does get easier over time.
In spite of these lessons that had to be learned, my son and I are adjusting to this new system of diapering. Truth be told, he doesn't care what's on his bottom as long as it's soft and dry.
Posted by Teresa Simpson
Whenever I am out with my infant son, I find myself talking to him as if he were any other companion (sometimes even waiting for a response!). On one such expedition, I was chatting away as we meandered through the store, when a woman approached us.
"I love how you talk to your baby," she said.
"Oh," I said, "thank you." I wasn't sure exactly what she meant by how I talk to my baby.
"I never really felt comfortable talking to my babies as if they were people," she went on.
I considered pointing out to this woman that her babies probably were, in fact, people -- but I chose to refrain. I realized, however, that many adults really don't feel comfortable talking to babies -- nor do they know what to say to them.
The fact is, babies do not need baby talk. It is better for them to be talked to like adults. This paves the way for their future language skills. So here are a few suggestions on things you can talk about when you find yourself baby-mute:
- Give a detailed account of what you are doing, while you are doing it (e.g., "See Daddy sweeping the floor? Daddy is using the broom to sweep up the dust. See the dust that Daddy swept up? Now Daddy is sweeping it into the dustpan.")
- Recite nursery rhymes that you remember from your own childhood. Your baby will also enjoy the sing-song tone of your voice.
- Teach your child your favorite recipes, explaining each step of the process.
- If you are away from your baby during the day, tell him or her about the events of your day.
- Share with your baby the rules of your favorite sport or the plot of your favorite book.
You get the idea. The goal here is that you talk -- about anything -- to your baby.
Posted by Teresa Simpson
I love reading to my son. He and I snuggle up together in the corner of the sofa every day for a few minutes of reading. He and I both enjoy the closeness and he is also captivated by the bright pictures in his books. Being a reader myself, I certainly hope I am able to instill a love of books in my son. Do you read to your baby? You might be interested in these tips on reading to baby.
Posted by Teresa Simpson
I recently bought a HUGE box of diapers at an equally HUGE discount store. I got a great deal on them, paying about half of what I would have paid for the name brands. I figured that the only thing I might be sacrificing was a little extra absorbency which wouldn't be a big deal because I change my son's diaper very frequently. So I got my huge box home, still quite proud of my find, and promptly put one of the new diapers on my son. Everything was fine - for about five minutes. As soon as I sat down to feed him, I felt something warm and wet soaking through my shirt. His diaper had already sprung a leak! Certain that this was a fluke, I put him in another bargain diaper. Two hours later, I was changing shirts -- again! While it didn't happen with every single diaper, there were frequent enough leaks that I knew my good deal was actually a dud.
Do you have a favorite diaper brand? Vote on yours in the poll!
Posted by Teresa Simpson
I was trying to lull my son into some quiet time and popped a CD of "meditation music" into the player in hopes of soothing him. Well, clearly he wasn't interested in quiet time for as soon as the music began to play, he began to bounce. Not only did he bounce, but he bounced in time to the music. My baby's got rhythm! Could this be the result of having played music for him since before he was born? Who knows, but I will continue to play it and watch my son as he does his "dance."
Posted by Teresa Simpson
I have been fortunate in that I haven't had too many problems getting my son to go to sleep. That's not to say that I never have trouble, just that it is infrequent. Unfortunately, most of us as parents experience some level of difficulty in getting our children to either go to sleep or stay asleep. If you are facing such challenges now, you may be interested in these tips for getting baby to go to sleep or in my latest review, The Lull-A-Baby Sleep Plan.
Sweet dreams!
Posted by Teresa Simpson
I am a fequent visitor of epinions.com. I love to see what other people think of a product before I buy. I guess I want others to act as the Guinea pig before I shell out my own money! That being said, I am starting a new weekly feature in which I will review a book or product that is of use to the parent of an infant or toddler. This week I am reviewing the popular book,
What to Expect the First Year.
Posted by Teresa Simpson
For my birthday, my son (with the help of his dad) gave me a button that said "Mom Off Duty." My husband assures me that this Saturday will indeed be my day "off." While I don't expect that I will actually get the whole day off (after all, Dad can't breastfeed!), I am looking forward to sleeping late and then going shopping with my sister. The fact is, we all need to take time for ourselves now and then. We will be better parents for it in the end.
Posted by Teresa Simpson
When I was pregnant, I knew that I wanted to breastfeed my baby. After he arrived, I had some second thoughts when things didn't go quite as I planned. At first I thought that I would nurse him for the first six weeks and then switch to formula. By the time six weeks rolled around, he and I both had the hang of it. Still though, it was time consuming and I thought that I would continue until he was six months and then switch to formula. Well, six months is almost here and I have no intention of stopping now. After all, the benefits are immeasurable and the bonding is priceless.
Posted by Teresa Simpson
I was blessed with a "good" baby. At least that's what everybody tells me. What they really mean is that I am lucky that my son doesn't cry excessively.
My son is such a good baby that when he began to have a nightly crying jag lasting 20 or 30 minutes when he was three weeks old, we feared he had
colic. How naive we were! The poor parents of colicky babies have to endure hours of crying every day!
But does that mean that those infants are "bad" babies? No, of course not. It just means that they need a little bit more patience, comfort, and understanding to get them through those
colicky months.
Posted by Teresa Simpson
The time had finally come. After a few weeks of dutifully feeding my baby applesauce, bananas, and pears, it was time to introduce the vegetables.
I decided to start with carrots and opted to try my hand at making
homemade baby food. I steamed and pureed the carrots without a problem and now have enough carrots to last my son for months.
At first taste of this strange new food, my son wrinkled up his little face and looked at me as though I had lost my mind. At second taste, however, he was a bit more open-minded. Now, a few days later, he is eating carrots without a struggle.
Ah, the sweet taste of success.
For more on this topic, join our discussion on
babies and vegetables!
Posted by Teresa Simpson
It is almost back to school time and it seems there are signs of it everywhere. In almost every department or discount store, the swimsuits, sandals, t-shirts, and shorts of summer have been replaced by fall sweaters, pants, long-sleeve shirts, and thick socks. And all that summer apparel is appearing on clearance racks. Just this weekend, I bought four new warm weather outfits for my son. The whopping total? $12.00.
So while it's still warm, take advantage of the clearance prices on summer clothes for your kids. You may have no idea what size your child will be in next summer, but you probably have another couple of months of summer left in his or her current size.
Posted by Teresa Simpson
If you read last week's blog, you know that I have been introducing my son to his first foods. We started with rice cereal and then applesauce, both with favorable results. He seems a bit confused as to why I keep depositing this thick substance into his mouth but is otherwise okay with the process.
I have to wonder, though, what is going to happen in a few weeks when it is time to introduce his first vegetables. Will he eat them? Or will he want to spit them out in favor of the fruit?
I know that the day may come when I will have to come up with creative ways to get veggies into his diet, but I hope that while he's an infant, he will be receptive.
Posted by Teresa Simpson
My pediatrician gave me the green light last week to begin feeding my son solid foods. What a messy thing to do! At each feeding I am finding myself and my son covered in baby food! We are starting with the rice cereal and moving onto applesauce and other fruits and I have actually decided to make my own baby food. The process is simple enough. I just hope I stay motivated enough to keep on doing it!
Posted by Teresa Simpson
I love watching my son as he gains more independence every day. He is trying to sit up on his own, he scoots around by himself, and he "talks" to me constantly. There is one aspect of this newfound independence that I don't like. He has started putting everything into his mouth! It's not too much of a problem right now, but as soon as he starts crawling, I will have to keep everything out of reach. I guess the time has come to childproof my home.
Posted by Teresa Simpson
I saw something new in my son today - my sweet little four month old had a clear show of temper. He scrunched up his face in anger and began to scream. What brought this on, you might ask? It was all because the pacifier fell out of his mouth and I wasn't quick enough to return it to him! This is especially surprising because my son rarely takes a paci. But today, he was attached. It just makes me wonder what I'll be in for when the terrible twos arrive.
Posted by Teresa Simpson
Today was the kind of day every mother dreads. My son cried and cried for most of the day and there was nothing I could do to fix it. By the end of the day, I was crying with him. I did, of course, test the usual suspects: hunger, sleepiness, boredom, and a few more that you would probably rather I not mention. None of these seemed to be the problem so all I could do was try and comfort him. If only he could have told me what was wrong! In a few months, I will be trying my hand (no pun intended) at teaching him sign language. Then, maybe he can tell me what he needs, long before he brings himself - and me- to tears.
Posted by Teresa Simpson
When my son was seven weeks old, I returned to work and had to leave him in daycare. Though I had done a lot of research and knew I had chosen a quality center, it was still the hardest thing I ever had to do.
If you are trying tochoose a child care center, you know what a hard decision it can be. Be observant, ask lots of questions, and check references. Most importantly, trust your instincts.
Posted by Teresa Simpson
I feel so sorry for my husband. Every day he leaves the house at 8:30 a.m. and doesn't return home until 6:30 p.m. That is ten hours a day, five days a week that he misses the amazing changes taking place in our three-month-old son.
Missing out on those little milestones can cause a parent to feel a sense of detachment from their baby and may interfere with the natural bonding between parent and child. If your child's other parent is missing out, encourage him or her to spend quality time each day with their child. Check out these easy ways for dads to bond with their babies (moms can use them, too!) and remember that the quality of the time is at least as important as the quantity.