Photo: Vermin Inc

Watch for Tell-tale Signs

For the first six to eight weeks, your baby will most likely get tired after about two hours of being awake. If you wait too long to put your baby down, she or he may get overtired, making it more difficult to fall asleep. This is why it’s important to watch for the signs that your child is tired such as when they rubs their eyes, pull their ears or become more fussy than normal. If you spot these signs, try to put your baby down to sleep. Soon you will intuitively understand the signals your baby is giving you, and you will know when your baby is ready for a nap.

Favourite Bed Time Items

Having special bed time toys, clothes and other items will help your child learn when it’s time for bed. Having special night time baby blankets, stuffed toys and special baby clothes such as pyjamas will help your child understand that is it time to sleep when they see these items. Remember, this only works if you keep sleeping items separate from the daytime items that your baby uses so that the routine can be established.

Teach the Difference Between Day and Night

Some babies start out as night owls, and there won’t be much you can do about it. After the first two weeks, however, you can start teaching your baby to recognise the difference between day and night. Keep your baby alert and engaged throughout the day. Don’t minimise the amount of daylight coming in or the amount of noise coming from the telephone, washing machine or kitchen activities. Also, try to keep your baby awake during daytime feedings. At night, don’t play with your baby if he or she wakes up. Instead, be as quiet as possible, talk as little as possible and keep the lights out. In time, your child will understand that the day is for being active, and the night is for sleeping.

Establish a Bed Time Routine

It’s never too early to start a bedtime routine with your baby. Try to make getting ready for bed as consistent as possible from night to night: start with bath time and teeth cleaning followed by changing your baby into his or her night time clothes, and finish off with a story and a lullaby. Soon enough your baby will begin to recognise the cues you are giving them throughout the routine, and will begin to understand that everything is in preparation for them to sleep.

Give them somewhere shady to plan during those hot summer days by having either a veranda or retractable awning that you can play out to create shade.  Give your children somewhere to play outside where they are not going to get sunburnt.  You can also make your indoors more pleasant to be in during those hot days by having security screens on your windows so you can keep the windows open during both day and night to let the breeze through, but keep intruders and insects out.

Somewhere to cool off

During summer holidays it is great for kids to spend as much time as they can outdoors and having somewhere to cool off will be much appreciated.  Whether you have a backyard swimming pool or are planning to put one in, you will be sure to be the most popular house in the neighbourhood.  Having a pool is a good investment when you have kids because you will be able to keep them entertained for hours and save a lot of money on taking them out to other activities or spending time going to the local community pool.  If you don’t have the space or the money to put in a pool kids are just as happy playing in a smaller blow up paddling pool or even running under the sprinkler or having water fights.  Give them some buckets and water guns and they will be entertained for hours.

Club house

At the start of the holidays build your children a club house.  You can either encourage them to make a club house out of their existing cubby or build them a great tree house.  If you don’t want to build something permanent or your budget doesn’t stretch that far then use the tent you take camping or buy a play tent.  There are plenty of great play tents available, which are easy to put up and store.  Give your kids some ideas about how to have the perfect club house.  They can create their own flag, have their own set of rules, including no grown-ups allowed, and can invite their friends and the neighbour’s kids to be a part of their club.

Arts and crafts

For really warm days or when it is raining you can set up some arts and crafts outside under the veranda or retractable awning or play inside.  Save your cardboard cartons and boxes and have them build a town, where they can drive their toy cars.  Mix some paint with dish washing liquid in a tray and blow bubbles through a straw.  Lay some paper over the top to create interesting bubble pictures.  Get older children to make up their own magazine where they can write their own articles and either take photos to stick in or draw the pictures.  It could be an ongoing project that will keep them entertained over the whole holidays.

Movies and other activities

Make sure you take your kids out a few times through the holidays.  There is always a  new children’s movie released over the school holidays and you can also take them go-karting, indoor rock climbing, ice skating or roller skating, or go on a picnic.

Photo: nexus6

Indeed ‘A mother’s joy begins when new life is stirring inside… when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time, and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone”. For the gift of life that she will be giving to you, you certainly cannot pay back, however there are some gifts that can reflect your gratitude.

Though a lot of people believe in materialistic comfort, I perceive something that sooths mind as well as body would be really helpful. So my list here will comprise of both massages and materialistic things.

Starting with first, take her for some prenatal massage, this therapeutic massage during pregnancy has been considered a stress buster. Woman experiencing their first pregnancy often becomes anxious and comprehensive about their gestation period. This massage helps them relax.

Secondly, gift her some robes and gowns of soft fabrics like cocoon, the Cashmere Robe, soft maternity gowns and wrap her in the luxurious comfort. How about flowers? Yes! Let the fragrance of roses and lilies fill the world of mommy. Let her have her own beautiful colorful world. Arrange for some flower services on daily basis.

You can also get her some treat like manicure, pedicure. It doesn’t sound like a treat though, for a pregnant woman it becomes difficult to keep-up with her nails and toes, so she ought to feel nice after the session. While in parlor, get her some hair treatment done, nine months are long, and change in looks will help in diverting mothers mind lest they may focus too much on the baby and will become nervous about delivery and things

Gift her a book on pregnancy tips, books are tremendously helpful in shaping our thoughts, a book will help her thoughts stay positive, last but not the least, body changes, an outraged belly often trouble mother’s sleep, why not get her a pillow? These body pillows are made to support belly of a pregnant mother. It ensures a peaceful nap.

You don’t need to bring whole world at her feet to make her feel special and pampered when she is expecting your baby. All you need to be is loving and caring. If you make her feel pampered, often make her smile, make her feel loved you are gifting her best but if you are not there for her, all your gifts will remain fallow. Massaging the body of mother helps in the growth of baby as t improves blood circulation in the body, and what woman dislikes beauty treatments? Neither does a mother, gift her some beauty vouchers. Get her hair colored, buy her robes and pillows, get her books and flower. Having a baby is bliss express your happiness with these gifts, pamper your girl.

Photo: Senator Kate Lundy

In 2011, the Gillard government made a move to reduce the financial stress of a new baby to Australian families, with the introduction of the Federal parental leave program. Recognising that many employers in the country don’t have a parental leave scheme, the Government introduced an initiative to support families and also bring Australia up to standard with many other developed countries around the world.

What is the parental leave scheme?

The Government’s parental leave scheme is an opportunity to stay home with your baby immediately after the birth so you can connect and share in this amazing time. Without an income this can be near impossible for some parents to do.

The government acknowledged substantial impending skills shortages, and recognised the need for new parents to stay connected to the workforce while on parental leave, so skills would not be lost and the retention issue wouldn’t increase.

The scheme pays an eligible parent weekly payments equivalent to Australian minimum wage, $543.78, generally through their current employer. It’s just like receiving recreational leave but at a lower rate. This great news means although you won’t be receiving your normal income, you will have enough for the necessities – and hopefully a few toys thrown in!

Photo: I, Timmy

Who’s Eligible?

If you are the primary care giver to a child born or adopted after January 2011, you may be eligible.

You need to be currently employed and have worked 10 of the 13 months prior to giving birth. Within those 10 months, you must have worked 330 hours which is around one day each week. You can be casual, contractor or self employed, as long as you were working.

A means test at a certain level of income will also apply.

What if my partner wants to access the leave?

The scheme is open to either partner, so long as they are eligible, however only one of you can access it. If you and your partner wish to share the leave, and you are both eligible, look at the opportunity for you to use half the 18 weeks, and your partner to take leave for the remaining half. This gives you both an opportunity to share the excitement and the tiredness of a new baby!

What about my other benefits?

The parental leave scheme will have an impact on some of your other benefits. In terms of child and family allowances, if you elect to apply for the paid parental leave scheme and are successful you will no longer be eligible for the baby bonus scheme. If you have twins, there may be an option to benefit from both schemes.

Other allowances such as dependent spouse may also be impacted. If you are counting on these, make sure you take it onto consideration.

Photo: Conor Keller

After heading out or online and filling your baby wardrobe with gorgeous maternity wear, filling the new supplies closet with enough diapers to last for weeks and reading all the baby books you can find, it’s time to get out of the organisational phase and into the joys of nesting — creating a beautiful haven for you and your baby. Your baby nursery can be one of the most amazing decorating jobs you ever undertake in your house — because it invites rather than deters the adventurer, the fairytale lover and the child inside who craves bright colours and big pictures.

When creating a nursery that will take your breath away and encourage your baby’s imagination consider the following:

1. The theme
The theme is what really makes your nursery. Be as adventurous as you like. This is not time for bland, plain paint jobs and furniture that matches everything else in the house. This is the time to think of your favourite childhood fairytale and really bring it to life. The theme will influence everything from your paint job, to you furniture and the toys and props you get to make the room beautiful. Think princesses, castles in the sky, the beach or even just a colour combination.

2. Paint job
Your paint job is what will set up the theme. While plain walls are nice in the lounge room, go for something different here. Perhaps a whole room mural that catapults you into a scene from a fairy tale, pale walls with brightly painted animals or shapes, or even just different sized big letters placed randomly. Get creative and don’t be scared to do it twice to get it right! Draw a picture first so you know your plan, use templates and stencils and let your inner child do the painting!

Photo: jhiner

3. The furniture
Use your furniture to compliment the paint and extend the theme. If you search online, you will find a wide range of furniture shops that stock everything from fairytale furniture to plain white furniture that will suit every theme. Perhaps you want a crib that looks like Cinderella’s carriage or the base of the far away tree. Either way, you will also be doing a lot of sitting in this room — feeding, putting the baby to sleep and just checking in, so compliment any theme with a big, cosy, corner chair!

4. Decoration
As well as pictures, use toys that align with your theme to finish off the room. You can buy online toys, or spend a day out in a store, but go for a range of sizes and cover the nursery with them!

It’s hard to imagine that something as simple as window treatments could be a threat, but the dangling cords on blinds and shades can be very attractive to babies. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports “about once a month, a child between 7 months and 10 years old dies from window cord strangulation”.

USCPS has also reported that over 200 infants and young children have died since 1990 from accidental window cord strangulation. The USCPSC has already recalled over 5 million of these dangerous blinds and shades and the Window Covering Safety Council is urging everyone with children (or caring for one) to switch to cordless window treatments The industry has been cooperating with recalls and making efforts to raise awareness and improve safety standards for new products.

WCSC urges parents to adhere to the following safety guidelines to maximize safety when young children are present:

• Install cordless window coverings in young children’s bedrooms and sleeping areas. Replace window blinds, corded shades and draperies manufactured before 2001 with safer, updated products.
• Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and cords, preferably to another wall.
• Keep all window pull cords and inner lift cords out of children’s reach. Make sure that pull cords with tassels are short and continuous-loop cords are anchored permanently. Make sure cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit movement of inner lift cords.
• Lock cords into position whenever horizontal blinds or shades are lowered, including when they come to rest on a windowsill.
• Retrofit all products in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations as instructed by the recent CPSC product recall (www.cpsc.gov).

There are other less apparent threats found in some window coverings that can be equally lethal. Small parts of cords, especially the small plastic end caps found on some products, can become a choking hazard if swallowed. Some window blinds have lead paint has also been found in some window blinds. If possible, select products that have been certified not to emit any toxic chemicals when exposed to heat. Most window coverings are by design, but the Greenguard Environmental Institute has a trustworthy air quality certification system you can look for to ensure products are free from toxic emissions.

The biggest threat still remains with the pull cords that can easily wrap around a small child’s neck. Free safety kits and instructions are available from manufacturers and at the WCSC website to make immediate modifications. The best solution is still to replace the window covering and install a new one that has been redesigned for child safety. This ensures safety for your family now and any children in the future.

When updating your window treatments, look for products from companies that have been redesigned to no longer use cords. Some companies also have motorized shades, which are generally the most expensive, but eliminate the need for any manual cord system. A cheaper available option is to use coverings with a pole or wand instead of cords. A hook on the end of the pole that fits into a small hole on the handle used to push the treatment up and down. You may need to pay a little more to have this option instead, but not nearly as much as the cost of getting an automated system. This option is widely available with most custom ordered window treatment products now.

Another option is to simply go with manual window treatments that do not require cords. As far as style goes, this may limit your options, but it will give you peace of mind about your child’s safety and not cost you an arm and a leg in the process. An everyday curtain or drape will work for this as they can just be opened and closed by hand. There are also some types of blinds and shades that can be pushed up or pulled down manually without cords, though they unfortunately still tend to cost more than ones with cords.

The best way to protect children from these silent dangers is to keep the harmful items out of the home. Make sure window treatments are cordless and chemical free to avoid these needless risks.

Author Bio: Tom Vatury has been in the window treatment industry for over ten years. Horizon Window Treatments is the largest retailer of window treatments in New York City.

Photo: Gonzalo Merat

These days you don’t have to decorate in pale pink, blue or yellow you can choose from a much wider range of options. If you don’t find out the sex of the baby before they are born then it is safest to go for something which isn’t a gamble – there would be nothing worse than a baby boy in a fairy-themed room for example, Granddad would never forgive you.

There is nothing boring about neutral though: it doesn’t have to be white, if you want something in muted colours then cream, soft beiges and browns look wonderful – and are perfect if you incorporate teddy bears. Divan beds in the nursery for you to sleep on next to the crib can be piled high with stuffed animals and fake fur throws creating a cuddly place to nestle with baby whilst matching the design perfectly.

If you prefer something bolder then primary colours are supposed to be stimulating for baby and can look really gorgeous. How about a design scheme featuring multi-coloured polka dots, fresh pinstripes or a cartoon theme? Another option would be zoo or farm animals parading across the cot bedding; not ideal for double beds but perfect for a cute nursery. Matching the toys you choose to display to the theme will work well here too and this kind of look may well last until your child is a little bit older.

If you find out the sex of the baby then you can opt for something appropriate – maybe trains or cars for your little man or a princess theme for daddy’s little girl. Whichever way you decide to go it is a really exciting time and perhaps the most enjoyable decorating project you will ever complete.

Photo: fazen

I have recently discovered the benefits of supermarket shopping when your child is hungry. This may sound like madness but actually it really works. The idea is that you strike a deal that they have to stay in the trolley seat whilst eating and then you just feed them all the way round.

I reckon you’ll get at least 45 minutes by the time they’ve had a sandwich, some fruit and then the ultimate bribery to sit still just when they are flagging – a cake or biscuit from the enticing display at the bakery counter. Genius! It beats trying to get them to stop bouncing on the mattresses at home whilst you do an online order hands down.

As for clothes shopping I often think that is the hardest one yet. It takes more concentration from you than adding things to a trolley from a list which leaves you less brain power free for watching your offspring. There are also more places to hide which is a nightmare, and shops with more than one store exit will complete the horror.

Thinking about it I would rather stick pins in my eyes… or wait until they are safely in their beds and then head out on late night opening day. The only other option has to be going mob handed so that the ratio of children to adults is in your favour. A much better plan! If you have any more top tips, leave a comment and let me know.

Photo: LivyAnn

Babysitting for friends gives you a real insight into their lifestyle, from how they go about putting the kids to bed – and whether or not they stay there – to what they offer you in the way of supper. Do they want you to visit the little darlings in their beds to say goodnight or are they sneaking out and you have to pretend you are not there at all?! The basic etiquette I think is to fit in with whatever they think will work best for their children, and cross your fingers nobody gets upset.

I always think being alone in someone else’s home is a different experience as well – and I am not confessing to rooting through cupboards or under mattresses here – you just have time to consider the surroundings more and perhaps look at the book titles on the shelves. Interior décor ideas and pictures can be absorbed as well, and often supply great inspiration for other projects in your own home.

I have an arrangement with a neighbour to baby-sit for each other which works really well, particularly as it is such a quick walk home when you are tired at the end of the night. The best bit, much to the amusement of the rest of the street, is when my husband does his 8.00pm dash with a foil covered plate to deliver my dinner! I am a lucky lady.

Photo: Vermin Inc

Nappies
One thing that a new mum will go through a lot of is nappies.  If she has decided that she is going to use disposable nappies then she will appreciate a large box of nappies, you can buy them in boxes of about one hundred.  There are also great cloth nappies available too which are the same shape as a disposable but have snaps to fasten them, but you can easily wash them and re-use them.

Mobile
To help settle baby a mobile makes a great gift.  There a lots of different ones available that play music and spin around and even light up.  You can also get ones that attach to the side of the cot that play music, light up and have moving parts.  Some play several different tunes, often classical music and even play the sound of the ocean or whale song.

Wraps
Wraps are great for a newborn as most babies prefer to be wrapped up snugly when they sleep. It helps settle them and feel protected, just like they were in the womb.  It also stops them from throwing their arms around and waking themselves up.

Clothing
Giving clothes is a fairly common gift but it is handy to have plenty of changes of clothes.  It is a good idea to give clothes that are several sizes too big so the new mum has some on hand for her baby to grow in to.

Photo: Nina Matthews Photography

Change table
A gift that a few of your friends or family might want to put in for is a change table.  A change table is important to have for a new baby because it saves your back.  Instead of leaning over a bed or the floor a change table makes changing nappies and dressing the baby much easier.

Portable cot
If the new mum travels a lot or even if she wants to go out some evenings for a night off it is handy to have a portable cot.

Steriliser
If the baby is bottle feed having a steriliser can make the job of sterilising bottles and teats a lot faster.  You can buy electric sterilisers or ones that you add a bit of water to then put in the microwave.

Nappy bag
A new mum will definitely need a nappy bag because everywhere she goes once the baby is born she will need to take nappies, wipes, changes of clothes, bottles if she is bottle feeding, then later food, toys and a whole host of other bits and pieces.  A good strong nappy bag is a great gift, and many come with change mats.

Photo: rhysa cymro

Bath products
Baby bath products make a lovely baby shower gift.  There are plenty of lovely brands available, including great organic and natural products.

Nappy changing items
This is a useful gift as she will be changing lots of nappies.  Baby powder, wipes, nappy disposal bags and nappy rash cream are a great idea and you can make them up into a gift basket.