It’s Storytime!
You may wonder about the benefits of reading to your baby. Clearly he or she can’t understand what you are doing or why. At birth, a baby’s brain can do a lot, but it isn’t fully developed. The more the senses are stimulated, the more quickly the rest of a baby’s brain will develop. So, reading aloud to your baby is a wonderful shared activity you can continue for years to come. And it’s an important form of stimulation.
Reading aloud teaches your baby about communication; introduces concepts such as numbers, letters, colors and shapes in a fun way; builds listening, memory and vocabulary skill, and gives babies information about the world around them.
But perhaps the most important reason to read aloud is that you are helping make a connection between the things your baby loves the most — your voice and closeness to you — and books.
When and How to Read
Here’s the really beautiful thing about reading aloud: It doesn’t take special skills or equipment. Just you, your baby and some books. Read aloud for a few minutes at a time, but do it often. Don’t worry about finishing entire books; focus on pages that you and your baby enjoy.
Try to set aside time to read every day. Perhaps before naptime and bedtime. In addition to the pleasure that cuddling your baby before bed gives both of you, you’ll also be making life easier by establishing a routine. This will help to calm your baby and to set expectations about when it’s time to sleep. Books also come in handy when you are stuck waiting, so have some in the diaper bag to fill time sitting at the doctor’s office or standing in line at the grocery store.
What to Read
Books for babies should have simple, repetitive text and clear images. Your newborn just likes to hear your voice, so you can read almost anything, especially books with a sing-song or rhyming text. As your baby gets more interested in looking at things, choose books with simple pictures against solid backgrounds.
Once your baby begins to grab, read thick board books with bright colors. When your child begins to do things like sit up in the bathtub or eat finger foods, find simple stories about daily routines like bedtime or bathtime. When talking starts, choose books that invite him or her to repeat simple words or phrases.
Books with mirrors and different textures (crinkly, soft, scratchy) are also great for this age group, as are fold-out books that can be propped up, or vinyl or cloth books that can go everywhere — even the tub.
One of the best ways you can ensure that your child grows up to be a reader is to have books around your house. When your baby is old enough to crawl over to a basket of toys and pick one out, make sure some books are included in the mix.
In addition to the books you own, take advantage of those you can borrow from the library. Many libraries have storytime just for babies, too. Don’t forget to pick up a book for yourself while you’re there. Reading for pleasure is another way you can be your baby’s reading role model.
—www.kidshealth.com
Board Books for babies
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Beloved by generations, “Goodnight Moon” follows one little bunny who gets ready for bedtime by saying goodnight to all his favorite things.
Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton
From the author of the modern classic “Barnyard Dance,” this story features Boynton’s classic drawings and the silliness of one little “snuggle puppy.” Written in song form, it’s easy for kids to make up their own tune and sing along.
Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss
Children will love listening to all the sounds that Mr. Brown can make, from a hippo chewing gum to a goldfish kiss. From “There’s a Wocket in My Pocket” to “Hop on Pop,” many more Dr. Seuss titles are available in board book form.
I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt
A boy tests his mother’s love by turning himself into a stinky skunk, a meat-eating dinosaur and other awful creatures. Throughout the book, his mother assures him that she’ll love him unconditionally — no matter how scary or stinky he is.
When Work Calls
By Shawn Ledington
Leaving an infant to return to work might rank as one of the hardest jobs a parent has to do. Yet, these days, most families need two incomes to get by.
Finding quality and affordable infant care can be difficult but not impossible, especially if planning and preparation are done ahead of time. Day care centers, for instance, may have up to a year waiting list. It’s important to get on those lists while pregnant. Quality, affordable in-home day care settings may also have a waiting list.
Regardless of the type of care being sought, all parents-to-be should make many visits to the site and ask prospective caregivers as many questions as possible. Just because the price is right, or the location is convenient, that does not mean the child care will align with a family’s values.
According to York County’s Child Care Consultants, parents should consider the following when looking for child care:
Frequent, warm interaction among children and caregivers
Specially trained caregivers sensitive to individual child and family needs
Balanced daily program with time for play, learning, rest and meals
Enough adults to respond to individual children (meets/exceeds PA regultions)
Safe, clean, pleasant environment with areas for rest, quiet play and active play
A learning environment encouraging creativity, problem solving and social skills
Equipment, toys and materials appropriate to each child's age and abilities
Nutritious and appealing meals and snacks
Open communication with parents where visits and questions are encouraged
Secure, stable environment with low staff turnover
In some cases, cost and hours can make using a child care center difficult. Many child care facilities close by 5:30 p.m., which is hard for parents who work late or commute.
Lucky new parents may have understanding employers who work with them to offer flexible schedules which also allow parents to have more quality time with their newborns.
While each employers’ benefits differ greatly, Lancaster Laboratories, Inc. in Lancaster has been known for its progressive family-friendly atmosphere for years and was even ranked on Working Mother Magazine’s Best Companies list, which ranks family-friendly companies nationwide.
Not only does it offer on-site child care for all of its employees, it also has an elder care center for employees’ aging parents, said Lisa Bamford manager of public relations for Lancaster Labs.
One of the great benefits the company offers on a case-by-case basis is full-time status at 30 hours a week.
“It has been an enormous support for parents who want to juggle work and family,” she said.
The success of the program, she said, is based on the level of trust between an employee and his or her manager. It’s up to them to work as a team to make it work for the company and for the family, she said.
Child Care Rating System
Thanks to Keystone STARS, a new state rating system, parents now have a simple way to judge a program‚s quality. To learn more, visit www.pakeys.org.
Need a Sitter?
Ask local moms clubs or friends and family for recommendations for a new babysitter. Even better, submit your name and phone number to your local American Red Cross to be mentioned to the next 5-hour Babysitter’s Training Course. The class teaches various lessons, including decision-making and age-appropriate play and behavior, as well as first aid and CPR training.
How to Have the Happiest Baby on the Block
By Wendy Garman
After nine, long, nauseated months, six different pants sizes, 42 bowls of peanut butter cup ice cream (that might explain the pants sizes) and 27 grueling hours of labor, you are now a parent. Here’s your baby. You’re in charge. You know what to do, right?
New parents often find that taking care of an infant can be demanding, tiring and sometimes frustrating, especially if that infant just seems inconsolable. In 2002, Dr. Harvey Karp’s groundbreaking discovery of a reflex that calms crying babies in minutes (or less) has brought a new found hope to forlorn parents everywhere and has been promoted by Prevent Child Abuse America as a way to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS).
Each year more than 1,500 babies are brutally shaken. Approximately 95 percent of SBS incidents are triggered by crying. That is why Dr. Karp’s technique is so important. His findings (the five S’s – swaddling, side/stomach, shushing, swinging and sucking), which are described in the best-selling book and award winning DVD “The Happiest Baby on the Block,” can stop crying quickly and relieve parental stress while adding one-two hours of sleep to a baby’s routine. No wonder they offer such promise in SBS prevention.
So how does Dr. Karp do it? What are these magical five S’s and how do they work? Obviously, crying is your baby’s way of effectively getting your attention. Once she has your attention, you will probably go down your mental checklist of questions and solutions. Hungry? Wet? Lonely? Gassy? Cold?
The trouble comes when nothing seems to console her. Estimates are that one out of every five babies has repeated bouts of terrible fussiness for no apparent reason. That adds up to almost one million sweet new babies born in the United States each year who suffer from hours of red-faced, eyes-clenched screaming.
Is there really an off switch? Dr. Karp believes that, indeed, there is. The triggers for your baby’s calming reflex are the sensations he felt in the uterus.
Swaddling: While many parents believe that babies are happy to have more room to stretch, babies actually long for the comfort of the confined quarters they spent that last nine months in. Wrapping doesn’t actually trigger the calming reflex, but it keeps your baby from flailing and helps him pay attention to the other four S’s.
Side/Stomach: This is what Dr. Karp describes as a feel-good position. While no baby should be put to sleep on his stomach, it can be quite calming to a crying baby because it stops an invisible type of stimulation – the panicky feeling of falling.
Shushing: Many new parents mistakenly believe that quiet is better. Believe it or not, a loud, harsh shushing sound is music to your baby’s ears. Shhhhing comforts him by mimicking the whooshing noise of blood flowing through your arteries. This loud, rough humming surrounded your baby every moment during his nine months inside you.
Gerry Shambor, mother of 4 1/2-week-old Kadence, says, “The [York] hospital actually told me about Karp’s technique, and I was surprised by how well it worked. At first I thought, ‘You want me to do what in her ear?’ But almost immediately, she would calm down and nod off to sleep.”
Swinging: Let’s face it, newborns are like little sailors who’ve just returned from a nine-month stint at sea. The stillness of the land can drive them crazy. That’s why rhythmic, monotonous, jiggly movements—what Dr. Karp refers to as swinging—are one of the ways parents calm their babies. Swinging should be vigorous at first; once baby is calm, it can be reduced to a gentle sway.
Sucking: Once your baby has started to settle down from all of the above, she’s ready for the fifth glorious S. This S takes a baby who is already starting to calm into a deep and profound state of tranquility.
Sign Up for Soothing
Check with your local hospital when and if classes are available on this great technique. In a single class, you will learn Dr. Karp’s secrets for making babies happy and practice the five S’s used to engage your baby’s “calming reflex.” Childbirth and lactation educators teaching this class have completed the Happiest Baby Certification Program. Class fee includes “The Happiest Baby on the Block” DVD and “Soothing Sounds” CD.