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.
