Animal Marionettes and Hand Puppets Help Get Proper Attention from Your Child

Raising a child can be a difficult task for anyone, no matter how much education and training you've had you will still not ever completely understand everything there is to raising a child. Unfortunately, children do not come with instruction booklets, so we have to figure things out on a day-to-day basis. Many people do not realize the role that animal puppets can play in a child's life. Hand puppets have been enticing children for as long as we can all remember.

A small child's face will light up when they see the puppet talking to them as they believe that magic is happening. This is a great tool for parents to use to help their children learn valuable lessons. A child will be more apt to sit and listen to a puppet has to say, versus what a parent has to say, as the puppet is more down on the child's level of thinking than the parents, or at least that is what the child believes.

There are many different types of hand puppets or animal marionettes to choose from that you can use to teach your child and help them grow. If you really want to get your child's attention, then you need to go with a puppet based on a character that your child loves. Take for instance, if your child loves alligators, and go with an alligator animal puppet. Your child will be fascinated and listen to every word that the puppet has to say.

Puppets have even been used for therapy purposes for children that have been abused. Small children have a hard time dealing with traumatic events, and therapists have found that by using puppets they can help a children express themselves and help the child to understand what they went through.

If you look at most of the children's television shows today to you will find that many of them have some form of hand puppet on the show. You will also find that those are the shows your children are most drawn to. The ones that seem to be the most favorite are the ones with bright colors on them as they promote happy thoughts.

If you want to help your kids learn faster and learn to express themselves better, you may want to incorporate the use of animal puppets. You'll find your child will have a much easier time relating to you when you get down on their level with the puppet. From Monkeys, to Tigers, to Lions and Bears the puppets you can choose from are endless.

Animal marionettes and animal hand puppets come in many shapes and sizes. You can get them life size and all the way down to miniature puppets, small enough to fit on your fingers. You want to be sure that you go with a puppet or marionette that your child will love. Some young children might be attached to large puppet like dog puppet or cat and consider them as their real pet. Incorporating these animal puppets into your child's life will definitely be an added plus and you both will flourish from them in the end.

Author:
Marina Neiman, author and mother of two, writes for 1888Toys.com – Educational Toys Store, featuring classic educational toys and selection of animal marionettes and soft hand puppets.

Terms: Articles may be reprinted provided content is not edited and links are kept live

Source: www.articledepot.co.uk

Goat Puppet by Folkmanis The salt and pepper Goat puppet from Folkmanis with its floppy Nubian ears will delight anyone who�s ever been to a petting zoo or a real working farm. Measuring 19� long, the goat has a movable mouth and weighted vinyl hooves, and an absolutely playful personality.Ages 3 years and up.By Folkmanis

Protect Your Baby - Talc Is Extremely Dangerous

Before using body powder on you or your baby, consider that not all body powder products are baby-safe. Body powders as well as baby powders, having talc as main ingredient may do more harm to you and your baby than good.

1. Talc Is Like Abestos! Talc is a rock that is mined and processed by crushing and grinding, drying the grinded materials, and then milling them. Through processing, a number of trace minerals are eliminated, but some minute fibers that are comparable to ABESTOS are not separated. Talc, as it is cheap and widely available, is the main ingredient of most baby powders, perfumed body powders and medicated body powders.

You put yourself and your baby at risk when you inhale these products. Body powder is used after bath to keep skin smelling good or to relieve irritated skin. Plenty of individuals are still unaware of the inextricable connection between talc and asbestos. In fact, these two chemicals are very much alike.

2. Talc Causes Cancer! Particles of talc can cause lung and ovarian tumors.
Studies have clearly shown that constant and repeated use of powder in the female’s genital area lead to cancer! Talc is able to move inside the reproductive system becomes lodged along the ovary lining. Studies show that talc particles are found in the ovarian tumor and researchers say that women with ovarian tumors have the habit of using talcum powder on their genital area.

3. Powder Inhalation Causes Deaths! Since the early 1980’s, records prove that several infants die each year due to accidental baby powder inhalation. Talc is a household hazard. It is used on babies to prevent diaper rash and to absorb moisture in the skin, keeping babies fresh. Evidently, dusting with baby powder endangers your infant’s lungs as there is great possibility of inhaling the product. It is dangerous to expose your baby to this carcinogen. Swelling and irritation of the lungs may occur when the powder is inhaled, and therefore may lead to breathing difficulties. Also, if talc gets in contact with baby’s rash or broken skin, inflammatory reaction may take place and that could be very uncomfortable.

4. Use A Substitute! - Instead of powder, use petroleum jelly on babies bottoms every diaper change. It is very effective in preventing diaper rash, because it provides the skin with a film, keeping wetness off the skin. - Use medicated ointments to treat rashes on babies and on your skin. - Ask your pediatrician about other options and products that you can safely use as a baby powder substitute. - Cornstarch mixed with baking soda is a great and safer alternative, to keep you and your baby fresh. It is much coarser than body or baby powder, and you can also add fragrance in it, if you want to smell good after applying it.

5. Products Worth Checking Into - Neways body and baby powder - Natural body powder - Dermaglow Natural body and baby powder - Lady Emily’s Talc-free body powder - Johnson’s cornstarch baby powder - Burt’s bee dusting body powder - PuriSorb. Very mild, good for all types of skin and formulated with chitosan, aloe vera, tapioca starch, and vitamin E.

6. Guidelines - Check and read the label. The product MUST be talc-free. - Check the date on the container and make sure that the product is fresh. Powder that is stored too long can breed bacteria and contaminate your or your baby’s skin. - Don’t apply baby powder directly from the container. Pour it first on your palm and gently pat it unto baby’s bottom. Keep powder away from baby’s face. - Likewise, be gentle in applying body powder to yourself.

Never dust it on your face and neck directly, to avoid inhaling it, as this can lead to throat irritation. - Don’t use body powder on both your and your baby girl’s genital area, as well as to areas surrounding it. - Avoid putting powder on baby’s skin creases, as the powder cakes can build up and encourage bacteria growth and can cause fungal infection. - If you have sensitive skin, an unscented body powder will be best for you. - During diaper change, never let your baby play with the powder; it can accidentally spill on his face, causing him to choke, or that he will inhale too much powder and lead to serious lung complication.


About the Author
For more great baby powder related articles and resources check out http://bodypowder.bathnbodyhq.com

Why My Baby Hates Me?

I'm a new dad and I can't help but feel like my 2-week old girl hates me. it seems that no matter what I do with her or even if I come near her, she screams and cries and flails her arms like she's trying to push me away or like she's frightened of me. My wife, who babysat when she was young, has a lot more experience with infants than I do, and she says that I just need to spend more time our daughter. But nothing seems to work. She won't even take a bottle from me.

I'm becoming more and more terrified to get near her because of how much it hurts to see her reaction towards me when I just want to play with her. Her not liking is the most heartbreaking feeling I've ever had in my life. Is she going to hate me forever?
: What you're describing is very common, especially when the baby is being breastfed.
And it's important that you not allow yourself to back off physically or psychologically.

There is absolutely no possibility that your baby hates you. At this age, she's spending most of her time sleeping. And when she's awake she's going to be an eating machine. She's far too young to have preferences. It's all about needs. Since mom smells like milk, that's what your baby is going to be most interested in.

Your wife is absolutely right: you and the baby need to spend some one-on-one time together.
The ideal time to do it is right after she's been fed, when she won't be as interested in eating. Your wife should leave the room so you can be alone with your daughter (or you can pop her into the stroller and head out for a walk). Sing, read, talk, whatever. Doesn't matter what you do.

The object is to get her used to you and to get you to feel more confident and comfortable with her or you can visit www.babies-tips.com. Once you've established a solid routine, its okay to try giving her a bottle (expressed breast milk is best).

But be sure you do it Waubay before she gets into the frantically hungry stage. Again, make sure mom is not in the room. If she is, the baby will want her and you'll be in the same situation again. Finally, try as hard as you can to not take your baby's behavior personally. Research shows that babies respond to tension in the air by getting fussy and agitated. So if you're feeling skittish just being around her, it's going to be especially hard to deal with her. The calmer you are, the calmer she'll be. I know that this is hard, but the fact that you wrote is a sure sign that you're a committed dad. You can do it.
http://www.create-super-baby.com/

Mother and Baby Giraffe Figure

Mother and Baby Giraffe Figure A mother giraffe looking out for her offspring is captured in hand cast, hand painted resin to make a lovely touch for end table, bookshelf, mantle or desktop. 19�.

Lead Poisoning in Children

in small children has become more widespread. As a parent, you should educate yourself in the causes, symptoms and treatments of overexposure to this dangerous mineral.This type of poisoning is caused by a child's exposure to products that contain lead, which is a heavy metal that is found in the earth's surface. Overexposure to this metal can cause vomiting, stomach pain, headaches, anemia, seizures, muscle weakness, and hair loss. Anatomically speaking, lead poisoning can affect the brain, bone marrow, and the kidneys.A lowered level of lead in the body can also cause complications in children. These youngsters may suffer a drop in their IQ, have problems concentrating and learning, and exhibit behavioral disorders.

More than 4% of all American children are suffering from lead poisoning and the leading product that can cause it is old paint that is found in older homes and buildings. Toddlers and small children can be infected by putting lead-based paint chips in their mouth or inhaling dust particles that have specks of paint in them.Other products that may contain unhealthy levels of lead include food or juice stored in foreign cans or improperly fired ceramic containers. This mineral can also be found in water that travels through old fashioned lead pipes which were also used in older buildings.

There are certain precautions that you can take to protect your children from lead poisoning. You should try to keep your child away from any peeling paint, particularly if you live in a building that was constructed before 1978. You should scrape any of these areas and seal them with new paint, which is all lead-free. You should also make sure that all waste is cleaned up if you are in the process of renovating an older home. If your neighbors are doing any remodeling, your children should wipe their feet and wash their hands any time that they have been in contact with the work area.

If you do live in an older home, you should make an appointment with your doctor to have your child checked for lead poisoning, even if you have not noticed any paint chips or other products present that may contain the metal. Many states offer free lead screenings through their health departments and some school systems require this testing to be done before your child can enroll in school.

For children who do test positive for lead poisoning, most of these youngsters require no treatment. The doctor will give you some guidelines to help you find the source of the lead so that you can remove it. Within a few months, the doctor will check your child's levels again, and in most cases, the levels will return to normal on their own. In a few of the most serious cases, the doctor may have to prescribe your child medication to bring the most serious lead levels down to normal.

If you have several children who have all tested positive for lead poisoning, the doctor will contact your local health department, who will send specialists to visit your home and remove any lead-based products that are present.Lead poisoning is a serious condition, but with early detection and proper actions on your part as a parent, it is easy to control.

Working on a Child Custody Agreement? You Need a Strategy!

We all know that the basic principle that a court will take into account when deciding on a child custody agreement will be the welfare of the children. It is, however, often the case their interests are not served by the way in which a divorce is managed and by the fact that many parents approach the issue of child custody with a solid strategy for achieving the best outcomes in place.

It is obviously much easier to sort out the best possible child custody agreement at the outset than to try and remedy past mistakes. You should therefore try to make very sure that you approach the custody situation of your kids in a calm, deliberate and proactive manner. It is so easy to go on an emotional roller coaster ride and to approach custody issues with terms like 'battle' and 'war' ringing around in your head! The thing is that even if you see things in warlike terms you still need to keep in mind that the one thing that is most important for those operating at the highest levels in the military can be summed up in one word: Strategy!

Strategy can be defined as a well thought out set of plans and/or procedures that you will follow to achieve a certain goal. It also involves the study of certain variables and likely responses to them. It is the kind of thing that needs to be approached with clear thinking and with a cool head. It should be noted that merely going in 'with all guns blazing' does, in most cases, not qualify as being a 'good strategy'!You owe it to yourself, and most of all to your kids, to have a good long think about ways in which their best interests can be served. You should also do everything that you can to familiarize yourself with the world of child custody agreements and with tactics and techniques that can form part of your overall strategy.

Most of us are perhaps not natural strategic thinkers but it is a skill that you will need to develop in order to achieve the best possible child custody agreements. I would therefore encourage you to, if you are facing child custody issues, do everything that you can to approach this difficult phase of your life in the same way that a master strategist thinks about meeting a certain objective: Research, Analyze, Weigh Alternatives, Anticipate Responses, Decide, Act!

Wraparound Baby Carriers For Baby Bonding

Wraparound baby carriers are very versatile and can help you carry your baby from birth to the toddler years, depending on how much weight you can carry. They are usually made of a stretchy fabric, sometimes a gauze and Lycra combination. There are several ways to snuggle your baby up against your torso and distribute his or her weight so that it is easy for you to carry them.

With wraparound baby carriers, you can carry your baby in a variety of ways - on your back, in the front, or on your hip or side. The length of the material and the many ways to tie it can be intimidating for first time users of the wraparound baby carriers, but with some practice and patience, you'll get the hang of it. And once you have tied the carrier into place, you simply lift your baby into the wraparound baby carrier and you are ready to go. No need to undo the wraparound carrier every time you take the baby out, you can leave it tied up and simply remove the baby for changing and then put them back into place and you're ready to go again.

The woven fabrics with Lycra in them are best used for heavy babies and older children. The lighter, gauze-type fabrics are best for infants and small toddlers because they can handle less weight and are more breathable. Either material you choose for your carrier will allow you to have your 'hands free' while you carry your child. The wraparound baby carriers are great for when you are shopping alone and the baby is a little fussy. The wraparound carrier is also wonderful when a stroller is out of the question, either because it's too crowded, like at an outdoor market, or other places strollers are just not as practical, such as the beach. Babies love to be held and held close to their parents. Dads can wear the wraparound baby carriers just as easily as moms can.

One must be careful when holding the baby in certain positions in wraparound baby carriers. There must be enough material under the baby's bottom to support the baby so she or he doesn't slip out. Some configurations are tied to let the baby slip their legs into the wraparound carrier so they are secure and cannot slip out. However, there is another configuration that only allows for the baby's bottom to be sitting in the carrier material with very little support. When used in this way it is important to make sure everything is in order just to be extra precautious.

Wraparound baby carriers come in a variety of colors to coordinate with your wardrobe and they can make a fashion statement while being helpful at the same time. Wraparound baby carriers allow your baby to feel loved and wanted because they like being held by their parents. Babies are usually very responsive to this type of swaddling and closeness. What better way to show your baby the love he or she deserves!

Big Red Classic ATW

Big Red Classic ATW #1800 Big Red Classic ATW #1800

Appropriate Toys for Two Year Olds

What are the best toys for your two year old?
The first thing you need to think about, of course, is safety. You must be sure that all of the toys you buy for your child are safe and have no choking hazards or other safety concerns.
It's a good idea to avoid toys made in China as many toys made in China have been recalled due to safety concerns recently.
Other than safety, another important concern should be "Which toys will stimulate my child's imagination and creativity?" It is also important to keep your child away from the TV as much as possible.
Make sure your child is using their brain and interacting with their toys rather than just being entertained by them. What follows are some ideas for toys you can get for your two year old.

Dolls.
Dolls are a good toy for a two year old as long as you don't get dolls that have a lot of different clothes to put on and take off as most two years olds cannot dress a doll by themselves. Most parents will want to get dolls for their little girls but not their little boys but there's nothing wrong with boys playing with dolls. Toy typewriters, cash registers, shopping carts, tool chests, laptops. Children love to mimic adults and toy versions of things that adults use can be a real joy for a child.

Tape player.
An easy to use "toddler tape player" can be a great toy for your two year old. This is something they can use to entertain themselves with. Get them some storybook tapes and/or some music tapes to put in their tape player. When your child gets older you may want to get them a recording tape player as a lot of children really enjoy recording themselves and playing it back. This is a great way to encourage your child to be creative.

Hand & finger puppets.
What a great way to entertain your child and for your child to entertain themselves! Puppets are another great way to encourage your child's creativity.

Simple wooden jigsaw puzzles.
Puzzles are a great way to help your child's thinking abilities but of course you do not want to get a puzzle that is too complex that will only frustrate or confuse your child. For a two year old you do not want to get a puzzle with more than 5 or 6 pieces.

Building blocks.
Both small building blocks and very large ones are great for a two year old. What a great way to let your child build something themselves at a young age! Toys that require interaction from your child are so much better than something that merely entertains them. Of course you must make sure that you do not get blocks that are so small that they are a choking hazard. Safety must come first.

Arts & crafts materials.
Encourage your child to paint and draw! It's important of course to make sure that you do not buy any toxic materials that will be dangerous. I recommend not concentrating so much on coloring books where a child just colors in the lines. Let your child's imagination run wild. There's no "wrong" thing to paint. Do not discourage your child. Magnetic or wooden block alphabet letters. Let your child become acquainted with the alphabet in a simple fun way. You can buy all of these great toys online which is great because (as you know) it can sometimes be very difficult to go out shopping with your young one.

Baby Carriage Planter

Baby Carriage Planter Baby Carriage Planter

Before Shopping for a Crib

Cribs for your newborn, are a must these days. To shop around for a baby crib is a pleasurable moment. Manufacturers have come with varying designs from the most simple and straight forward varieties to many special, sophisticated ones with a lot of fancy accessories and options. While purchasing cribs, safety and comfort should take precedence over looks and cost as it involves the safety of your baby.While new born babies are very small and tender, they do grow very fast. Almost all cribs come with options by which the height of the mattress can be adjusted. While the mattress can be kept high when the child is small, it can be lowered over time as the child grows. When the child grows to a stage where he or she can easily climb out of the crib in its lowest position, you can know that it is time to move to a toddler bed.

The federal government has come out with a set of safety standards for cribs. Ensure from the buyer or manufacturer that the crib you are purchasing meets all the safety standards. Avoid cribs that are manufactured before 1973, as the guidelines for crib safety were not in place before that time. Along with meeting the safety standards, you might have to check for a couple of things for your own ease of use and satisfaction. Check out how easily the dropside release works. Since you will be placing the baby on the crib when the baby is asleep, an easy and quiet dropside will always help. Ensure that there are no metal edges or teething rails. Check for the latches and locks to ensure that they are in good working order. Check whether you are able to slide the adjustable rails easily and lock them. Check for the gap between the crib and the mattress. If you can fit two fingers easily in the gap, then the crib and mattress do not fit properly and can result in your child slipping beside the mattress and getting hurt.

Cribs come with a lot of options. Cribs with wheels are available, where the wheels can be locked when required, and unlocked if there is a need to move it for cleaning etc. Convertible cribs are available where it can be used as a crib for the infant and can be converted into either a toddler bed or a twin size bed in later years. These help in many ways as you don't have to discard the crib after the child grows up and the child can easily move from the crib to the toddler bed when the time comes. These can easily be used for more than five years. These are also very useful in retaining the look and decor of the child's room. Basic cribs can cost anywhere from hundred dollars to a few hundreds of dollars. Convertible cribs or other fancier and special models can cost even up to the thousands of dollars. It's all about personal preference.

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