Babies
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They cry, they poop, they gurgle and coo, but they never tell you exactly what to do. Babies don't come with instructions. But at least you're not lost at sea alone! Here are some tips, tricks, and advice on how to navigate the murky waters of the first months of parenthood. Babies editor: Jessica Rosenberg |
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My oldest child had horrid gas and was colicky for her first few months. My husband and I remember hours of pacing, desperate for a solution to her discomfort. We eventually found one! Someone showed us how to press her knees into her chest and help our little girl release extra gas.
The first time a new sitter comes over to your house, you might be overwhelmed in the middle of the chaos that surrounds the hand off and forget to go over a few key points. Here are some things you might want to remember.
You’ve found the perfect sitter (yay!), but what on earth should you pay her? If you search parenting message boards for the answer you’re going to find that sitter pay rates range from as low as $3/hour (yikes!) to as high as $25/hour (double yikes!) I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but in the end there is no easy answer. Hourly babysitting rates depend on a variety of factors from where you live to what you expect your sitter to do while she’s with your kids. Who you hire is also an issue; you’re going to pay a 12 year old Mother’s Helper a lot less than a 45 year old experienced Nanny. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You also have to consider how many kids she’ll be watching, how old they are, and if they have special needs. And last, but definitely not least, you have to take into account when the sitter is going to be watching your children.
I recently had a conversation some dear friends of mine who are considering having another child. In our discussion, they asked me what I thought was the most difficult part about adding a second child to the mix.
I first muttered something that I have heard quite a few parents-of-more-than-one-kid utter before: “Having two kids doesn't make parenting twice as hard–it makes it four times as hard.”
And that’s true, by the way.
Ready for some more postpartum truths? Read on! It all starts with what happens in your head after your baby is born... or rather what doesn't!
“Have they told you about the hair loss yet?” A mom toting a tiny baby in a front carrier asks a heavily pregnant woman browsing the baby bedding at Pottery Barn Kids. I eavesdrop from the book rack where I'm picking out books for my own two little ones and chuckle.
The hair loss issue is always a surprise for new moms. One day you wake up from yet another sleepless night you find hair all over your pillow. You take a shower and clumps of hair fall out. Over the next couple days you develop a bald patch or two, maybe in the front, maybe in the back. Most of us panic, wondering what's wrong with us that we're loosing hair so fast. Some of us know better because a sister or a friend has warned us about the postpartum hair loss. But even when you know something in the abstract, it still catches you off guard when it finally happens to you.
New motherhood holds countless surprises, even for those who have done lots of research in preparation. Here are a few things that might catch you off guard.
“I'm never going to co-sleep!”“No pacifiers for us!”
“I'm going to breastfeed at least until my baby is 2.”
“I'll only feed my baby organic non processed foods.”
“I'm going to use cloth diapers!”
“No TV for my kids!”
Before you have kids you tend to have big plans. You think you know what you're going to do, when you're going to do it, and exactly how it's going to turn out. You tend to be pretty cocky, pre-kid. You've done the research, you've made the choices, and you're pretty confident about your parenting decisions.
Fancy baby clothes are for pregnant women. Practical baby clothes are for moms.
You have a child and you need someone to watch him. Simple, no? Well, actually that’s not as clear cut as it might seem. Luckily there are as many different types of child care options as there are childcare needs. Unluckily it might not be obvious which situation is best for you. Let’s brainstorm a bit before we decide what option works for your family.
If you're expecting and a shoe lover you're going to drool over all the adorable baby shoes that you'll spot in every baby store you walk into. But before you fork over your credit card to invest in half pint shoes, hold on and read on. Baby feet are very sensitive little things and you should hesitate before cramming them into tight, stiff shoes.
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