Feeding Toddlers

October 25, 2012 By Diane Constantine Leave a Comment

What’s the difference between a picky eater and a problem eater?

“Picky Eaters” Will Not Starve Themselves, but Problem or Resistant Eaters Might

by ISA MARRS

I spend a lot of time writing and speaking about picky eating. When I say “picky eater” I am referring to a child who has picky behaviors but can learn to eat a broader diet and change the bad habits that are negatively impacting themselves and their families. However, when it comes to feeding disorders there is a continuum of severity. And many of you have children with more severe food aversions.

Approximately two-thirds of children on the autistic spectrum have severe food aversions which can impact their growth and development. While this population of children often has feeding aversions it is in no way limited to them.

Poop or No Poop

October 25, 2012 By Diane Constantine Leave a Comment

Since we have to clean it up, we are very aware of what kind of poop our baby is making. We see different colors, different amounts, different consistencies. Some of them really worry us. The explosive poop of breast fed babies or the days of no poop, what does it mean and what can we do about it? Here are some helpful suggestions:

Baby or toddler constipation

Try Poop Goop– Two different concoctions to whiz up for your baby/toddler’s constipation

Long-term constipation – see When Your Child Just Can’t Go
To get the article in pdf – click here: When Your Child Just Can’t Go.

Breast-fed Baby’s Explosive Poop

Q.
I know breast fed babies have different colored and often softer stools then formula babies. My baby’s stools are very soft with the majority liquid. None of the seedy things the books and peds talk about seeing are present. When he goes, it’s nothing short of explosive. When I say explosive, even if the diaper is new and dry, it comes out with such force (and noise) that very little is caught in the diaper and it gets very little saturated. The poop shoots out the sides and back to the point you can feel it hit you if you’re holding him. Both docs told me I just need to get used to the softer stools of nursing and I felt like they thought I was exaggerating. Its been two weeks of what I would call liquid stools and I’m concerned about him being dehydrated or actually having something wrong. I called the nurse line today and talked to her about it and she said it sounded normal, but she’d be happy to bring in me to talk to another doc. Am I crazy to feel like this is not normal? We have gone through 5 blow out outfits since 5am, not counting spit up changes and its only 5pm.

Read answers from other moms

Positive Parenting

October 22, 2012 By Diane Constantine Leave a Comment

This article and a few more will be from my husband’s book called 21st Century Parenting.

The great news for parents is this: God can make you a better parent than you are, and you will like it! So will your kids, and so will all the people that interact with your kids: teachers, neighbors, extended family members now; employers, spouses, neighbors and friends later.

Couples conceive a child in a moment of pleasure. For nine months they wait patiently while a tiny life develops in the mother’s body. Then, after hours of painful labor, Mom and Dad finally hold their new baby in their arms.

Many years of pleasure, patience, and sometimes pain await them. The same darling baby whose every new accomplishment brings joy and pride might some day make them want to hide their faces in embarrassment. One day they’ll boast about what great children they have, ready to tell the world their formula for parental success. The next day they might feel like the worst parents who ever lived. They will laugh, and they will cry.

[Read more…]

The Importance of Child’s Humor

September 28, 2012 By Diane Constantine Leave a Comment

From LovingYourChild.com by Amy Brown, an editor of Livesnet, a site helping parents choose the best baby products and offering helpful parenting tips. Visit her site and read hot articles on Joovy Caboose Ultralight Stroller.

Humor is very important in anyone’s life especially that of a child. Why? Because it is during those years that so many things are lost such as imagination and the ability to have fun at any moment.

That is why you need to encourage humor in your child’s life. How? Read on and discover how easy it is to have fun and laughter to show your children that life is great.

Laugh with the Babies

Just because a baby can’t tell a joke or understand everything around them doesn’t mean they can’t experience humor. They love to laugh.

Spend some time with your baby and laugh with them as you play games with them, help them crawl and walk, and even make funny faces at them. This continues as they grow and develop. Start them young.

Stop Focusing on the Serious

Life is so serious and we all fall for it. I’m so focused on working and trying to keep things clean and organized. You know what? That will all be there later.

Infant Vision: 0-24 Months

September 27, 2012 By Diane Constantine Leave a Comment

Babies learn to see over a period of time, much like they learn to walk and talk. They are not born with all the visual abilities they need in life. The ability to focus their eyes, move them accurately, and use them together as a team must be learned. Also, they need to learn how to use the visual information the eyes send to their brain in order to understand the world around them and interact with it appropriately.

From birth, babies begin exploring the wonders in the world with their eyes. Even before they learn to reach and grab with their hands or crawl and sit-up, their eyes are providing information and stimulation important for their development.

Healthy eyes and good vision play a critical role in how infants and children learn to see. Eye and vision problems in infants can cause developmental delays. It is important to detect any problems early to ensure babies have the opportunity to develop the visual abilities they need to grow and learn.

Read more at: American Optometric Associaton