It is a fact of life that all living creatures need to rest in order to stay healthy and happy. Sleep is one of the necessary tools of survival just like eating and drinking. In order for the body and mind to perform at their best, a regular sleep routine is needed.

When we sleep, it gives not only your body, but your mind a rest as well. It is thought that sleep allows you to prepare for the next day and gives your brain an opportunity to sort things out. Though scientists aren’t precisely sure what type of organizing our brain does when we sleep. It is believed that during sleep your brain stores and sorts data, solves problems and replaces any chemicals that the rest of the body may need.

Different Babies May Have Different Sleeping Habits

The amount of sleep that a baby needs will depend on the baby herself. Age plays a large factor in how much sleep is needed, but nature plays a large part too. A newborn will sleep anywhere from 10 to 22 hours per day. This amount of sleep will decrease as the child grows.

If you have a baby that sleeps well, consider yourself lucky. For those less fortunate, there are things you can do as a parent that can get your baby on the right track to get the proper amount of sleep that she needs. Some babies are more active than others and will require less sleep, others are more laid back and are ready for a nap anytime, anywhere. Only you can determine the sleep needs of your child by observing behavior during the day. A child that needs more sleep will be cranky, clumsy and whiny without the proper amount of rest, while a child who needs less sleep will be ready to face the day with a smile and energy from the moment they awaken.

Teaching Your Baby Good Sleeping Habits

Though we may think that sleeping is as natural as breathing, it isn’t. If you have poor sleeping habits, your child may inadvertently pick up your bad rest habits. Usually by the time a baby reaches about 3 months of age they have developed a sleeping pattern. Most babies at this age have stopped their night feeding and this is an ideal time to begin training your baby for sleep. You must keep in mind that all babies develop at a different rate. If your child doesn’t seem ready for sleep training at this particular time, put it on the back burner and try it again in a couple of weeks.

When we say a baby sleeps through the night, we usually mean they are sleeping at stretches of 5-6 hours at a time. Some babies will sleep longer, some shorter. Once a child has reached the age of 6 months and is still waking for a nighttime feeding, it may be time to start night weaning.

Some babies sleep well through the night and then begin to wake up again. Don’t be alarmed, your baby may be missing you or she may be trying hard to master new skills that spill over into her rest and awaken her.

The best way to start healthy sleep habits at this age is to establish a regular bedtime as well as scheduled naps and stick to that schedule. You will notice signs of your baby becoming tired such as rubbing her eyes or pulling at her ears. You can also plan for specific nap times such as a nap after lunch feeding and one before the dinner feeding. Some people put their babies down two hours or so after they have last woken up. As long as you give your baby the opportunity to sleep, any approach you use should be fine.

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Debbie I. Snare recommends reading more information on the importance of Baby Rest/Sleep at www.MyBabyAdvice.com - You will also find helpful Baby Shopping Suggestions there.

Children are the most precious gifts bestowed upon all parents. Whether you have just given birth to a new born baby or have recently watched your youngest child blissfully exchanging her wedding vows, there still lies in you desires to continue loving and caring for your children despite how “mature” they will grow to be over the years.

Through the passage of time, much research and development have taken place in the area of parenting and motherhood. We can readily observe that the way which our parents loved us as compared to the love shown by couples whom have just embraced their new born in this new millennium does vary to some extent.

In recent years, many publications of parenting and motherhood have greatly encouraged the speaking of positive words to our children. Positive words such as “You are such a good girl”, “Thank you for helping mommy”, “It’s okay boy, you will get it right the next time”, “Daddy and mommy love you very much”, and so on. For some of us, these words were rarely spoken to us in the past by our parents.

In the older days, there were not much parenting resources where our parents could learn from. Needless to say, not much was being talked about on the positive way of communicating to a child. Since most of us have grown up in such environment, many parents today find it hard to adopt a better and more positive communication method.

The good news is that it is never too late to begin nurturing your child’s mental and emotional aspects through positive and encouraging words. Much psychological research have shown that children who grew up listening to parents’ praises, compliments, and positive words tend to learn faster and develop better self esteem, an essential factor that gives your child the capability to achieve his or her fullest potentials in later years.

A good step to begin with is to start praising your children when praises are due to them. Whenever your children obey instructions or simply lend their helping hand, a timely praise will encourage them to repeat the pleasing behaviors. However, do not overly praise your children as pride will set in soon after. So, when do we draw the line between timely praises and praises that are exaggerated? Well, just ensure that you praise your child on a behavior or action that makes you proud. Do not give praises on every single behavior which you approve of. Praising is undoubtedly one of the most powerful love languages for your children.

Each child wants to know that he or she is unique and special to their parents. This message is best communicated by telling your children their unique talents and abilities. Assuring statements such as “You play the piano really well”, “You are such a great artist”, “I love to watch you dance, and you dance really well”, “Congratulations, you did well for your mathematics exams again”, and so forth. Such statements not only affirm your children but also boost their self-esteem substantially. This indeed is another powerful love language for your children.

How about speaking something positive to your children when they make you upset? It’s never easy especially when the undesirable behavior is repeated overtime; all you want is an immediate “time out”. Being parents as we all know, demand much of patience to be slow to anger. The next time you are tempted to yell and scold your children, try speaking something positive first before teaching them. Statements like “You are a good girl, but when you beat your little brother, it upsets mommy, it hurts him and that is not right”, “Dad and mom loves you very much, but when you choose not to do your school work, we get upset and you must learn to be responsible”, “Danny is a good boy, but when you throw your food everywhere, mom will have to clear the mess, mom is very unhappy about it”, and so on. You will be surprised how quickly your children learn the right behavior when you reprimand them by speaking positive words prior to pinpointing the wrong behavior. This is yet another powerful love language for your children.

Like adults, every child wants to live in a home where love, warmth and affection abound. Take some time to adjust your communication style with your children. The more you communicate positive love languages to your children, the happier and healthier your children will grow to be. Isn’t this what every parent want for their children? Ultimately, nothing satisfy you more than an enjoyable journey with your children knowing that they too will pass on the love languages to their future heritage; your grand children to come.

If you are a first time parent to-be, there are numerous tasks that must be accomplished before your new baby’s arrival. One important, and fun “labor of love” is purchasing baby clothing. However, with such a large selection of baby clothing, you may be asking yourself which of these adorable little items are essentials. This is crucial information to know, as well as their proper care.

Onesies

“Onesies” are basically baby t-shirts and are a necessary baby clothing purchase. To keep the onesie from creeping up and exposing your baby’s belly, most onesies have easy close snaps. They can be worn alone or as an undergarment. Onesies, also known as rompers, come in basic white, colored or patterned varieties. For your basics, you should have between 5 to 10 onesies.

Sleepers

Sleepers are one-piece items with long legs and long or short sleeves. They usually have snaps down the legs for easy accessibility for late night diaper changes.

When preparing your basics, you should have between 5 to 8 baby sleepers. These are necessary as it is recommended that a newborn not sleep with thick blankets. This could inadvertently cause suffocation. The best material for both your baby’s warmth and comfort are cotton or fleece sleepers.

Baby Socks

For your baby’s requirements, you should purchase between 6 to 8 pairs of baby socks. Although socks are not required in warmer weather, they should be worn if taking your little one outside in chilly temperatures. They are also indispensable at night if your baby is wearing a sleeper without feet.

Baby socks are made of either thick or thin weaves. You should purchase a combination of both, as thin socks are better if your baby is to wear shoes.

Hats

Hats are baby clothing essentials for your little bundle. When taking care of your newborn, it is important to keep them adequately warm. Newborns often have difficulty regulating their body temperature and much of their heat escapes through their head.

It is recommended that your newborn wear a hat through his or her first month of life. After that, it is not as important unless you are taking them outside on a chilly or cold day. For this purpose, you should have 1 or 2 fairly snug, hats for your baby.

Proper Care for Baby Clothing

When caring for baby clothing, there are two schools of thought. The first is that your little bundle of joy’s clothes should be washed in special detergents to alleviate the risk of skin allergies. There are numerous varieties of mild laundry soaps that are scent and dye-free. Many of these detergents are aimed at the baby market, such as Dreft that boasts “A gentle clean. Just for baby”.

The other school of thought does not believe that “gentle” laundry soaps are required for baby clothing. If your baby’s skin does not react adversely to certain detergents, then a special detergent is not necessary.

Stain Removal

Your bundle of pink or blue will not think twice about staining their cutest outfits. Certain formulas, baby food and stains caused by leaking diapers are often difficult to remove from baby clothing. If pretreated before washing, some of the most stubborn stains can be eliminated, leaving the clothing both clean and in pristine condition. One tried and true stain remover is Oxi-Clean. You may want to “audition” or try different stain removers to find the one best suited for your laundry needs.

Wash New Clothes Before Wear

Before dressing your baby in new clothes, it is essential that you wash them first. Although baby clothing may look fresh and clean on department store hangers, many have come into contact with dirt, little four legged creatures and bugs during the shipping and packaging process.

Minor skin irritations may occur from sizing placed on many pieces of baby clothing. Sizing is used to keep items looking nice until they are purchased.

Getting prepared for your little one’s new arrival is both a joyous and stressful time. Knowing what baby clothing is essential in your little one’s layette and how to properly care for their clothing is one of the many tasks that lay before you. Knowledge is power and being prepared is half the battle.

Getting ready for your is an exciting event. If this is your first baby, you can start with preparing the room baby will stay in.

Will your baby sleep in your room or on her own?

If baby sleeps on your own, you would lose some privacy and have to be more careful with your spouse what you do in your bedroom while baby is sleeping in a nearby cot. If baby sleeps on her own, you might lose more sleep checking on baby every now and then to make sure she is okay.

Either case, you need a cot. You might want to get night lights, wall paper and even a mobile to entertain baby with, but the minimum you would need would be the baby’s cot and lots of baby crib bedding.

Baby will soil herself often. Diapers that overflow with urine and faeces may leak and dirty the bedding. Getting a little careless while changing baby might require sheets to be changed again. Baby’s skin is sensitive and baby is so vulnerable so keeping the place clean is important for the infant’s health.

Besides sleep, there is the issue of keeping baby clean. Do you have the necessary supplies for that?

Baby’s delicate skin is better off using baby products than bath products for grown ups. You should have a ready supply of baby shampoo, baby soap or baby bath and baby powder to keep baby clean and comfy. Diaper rash cream would come in handy too. Don’t forget the towels and the bath tub.

On the subject of diapers, you would need lots of diapers for newborn babies. Each of mine averaged a pack a week. You will also need baby wipes and a changing sheet for the diapers.

Even if you breastfeed baby, you would probably still need baby bottles, a sterilizer to keep them sterile and formula milk in case supplementation is necessary.

Then there is the clothing necessary to keep baby warm and comforable. You might need several sets a day, especially if you have a tendency to wet baby while cleaning her up, or she has a tendency to burp and spill vomit everywhere.

By: Janice Wee

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You can get the baby supplies you need at www.cheapestsale.com/health/baby.html and www.cheapestsale.com/home/baby.html

You’ve come to the right place if your a new parent wondering what child care is all about. One of the first questions you may have is, “What are the different kinds of childcare ?”

There are many types of childcare that are available and my job is to tell you what each one is about. So first of all lets start with defining the different types.

Types of Children’s Daycare Centers

Family daycares are established in a home and are typically licensed for up to 8 children. Other states may have different regulations.

Larger numbers of children in locations that are usually housed in commercial buildings are called “group centers”. The number of children present at that location is based on the building’s size and capacity.

Definitions of Types of Home Family Child Care Centers are as following according to Wisconsin State Rules and Regulations:

• Licensed Child Care Centers: A licensed child care center provides care for 9 or more children in a group facility

• Family Child Care Program: A family child care provider takes care of children in his/her own home.

Licensed Family Child Care: Licensed family child care providers can provide care for up to 8 children dependant upon their ages. He/she has completed a child care licensing class and must complete 15 hours of in-service training each year ( State of Wisconsin regulation, please check your state).

Certified Family Child Care Home: Certified family child care providers can provide care for up to 6 children, depending upon their ages. A certified provider has completed a 20 hour family child care certification and must complete 5 hours of in-service training each year.

Provisionally Certified Family Child Care Home: Provisionally certified family child care providers can provide care for up to 6 children, depending upon their ages.

These definitions should hopefully give you a greater understanding of how child care centers are separated. Your first choice should be deciding on whether you want your child attending a group or family center. Once you have figured out this question, proceed in choosing the correct provider.

A child’s play is a very important part of the children. Children want parents to be involved in their play. There must be a concerted effort on the part of the parents to set aside time to play with their child/children. Some parents need to start to learn how to play with their child though the child’s play may be silly. These are the reasons for the importance of child’s play.

Play is a very important part of a child. When playing, a child’s brain is at work. The brain is progressively influenced by the environment, on what is the child being exposed to or not exposed to which thus has a life impact on them. Parents whom play regularly with child can impart their family values and influence the behavior and attitudes of a child.

Note that children are born primed to learn. You will see this very distinctively when observing their imitation and learning process in their early years. At this time, their mind is like empty memory cache, whatever is feed to them it will be stored into their memory. When my daughter is one month old, we play the game of imitation. I stick out my tongue in front of her and she will follow suit. As baby, their learning process is mainly through parents or caretakers.

Parents should instinctively strive to provide the stimulation children need. When they are baby, toys or parents themselves (voice or movement) are the attraction and the stimulants for them.

Play is not serious. It should be fun tool for learning. It should be fun for parents and children when engaging in play. Simple play can be swinging a toddler left and right like a swing. Examples are: Stacking up blocks of wooden bricks together or traditional peek-a -boo.

Playing contributes to the children’s emotional, physical and intellectual development. It is through playing that the child learns to communicate, count and solve problems. How does the child learn their first few words? It is through play.

Playing with peers, siblings, parents and other adults teaches the child to learn to get along with others and to respect the rules and boundaries. This is especially important for social development.

Play also provides an invaluable window to the child’s personality. By observing how he plays, you can learn how he reacts to obstacles, victory and failures.

Manner of playing will provide parents with insights of child’s emotions, aptitudes and preferred learning styles. Responding to instructions through visual images, hands-on and boldness to try something unknown can be checked. Parents at this time will be able to use words of encouragement and praises to motivate the child. Always use positive words.

Playing with child is also bonding. The eagerness of a child to involve you in their play is very obvious when they are younger. Parents need spent time focus on playing with child instead of trying to multitask on mundane chores. Children detect parent’s willingness and enthusiasm easily, so do not create negativity or no response to their request. Bonding through play needs consistent efforts. The results of such be a special closeness that you will find strengthen between both as they grow.

Thus, play is a very essential and important part of a child’s life. Playing helps the child to develop emotionally, mentally, physically and also creates bonding between parents and child. It is through play that a child’s aptitude and personality can be fully explored. Through play, social skill is also developed to help him to be aware of other people whom are around his life and learn how to respect others.

Pamela Cheong is a working mum with a 5 year old daughter. Her blessings are to have a healthy and adorable daughter in her life. As an internet marketer part-time, she loves to share her knowledge with rest of the parents. For more parenting blessings sharing, please visit her blog http://www.parentingblessings.com

Summary: Oral hygiene is very important in children as poor oral hygiene may lead to poor health and other kind of dental diseases. This article explains how to maintain oral health of children. Body: Oral hygiene is very important in children as poor oral hygiene may lead to poor health and other kind of dental diseases. The cavities and gum diseases not only affect the physical appearance of a person, but also lead to serious health problems such as insomnia, stroke and even hearing defects. It has been found from the studies that the poor oral care can contribute to the clogging of the arteries, problem of the lungs and even can damage the heart valves. This might be seen when an expectant woman having gum disease, makes a pre-mature deliver or the baby is very much in weight etc. Hence, it is very necessary to start a regular and good dental regime at the early age during childhood to avoid health problems and diseases at a later stage. For taking proper care of the teeth the child should be taught how to brush, clean and floss the teeth properly.

Ways to keep the child’s oral health in pink:

To keep the oral health at its prime, the child should follow all the fundamental steps recommended by almost all the dentists. This avoids the incidence of dental problems like gingivitis, halitosis, tartar and gum diseases. Apart from proper brushing, the other hygienic methods like the right method of flossing and using the mouthwash have to be taught. The American Dental Association even advises the parents of a new born to start cleaning their newborn child’s mouth within few days after birth. It is very important for the clarity of speech and chewing action in the kids.

Parents of young children schedule regular oral health checkups around the first birthday of the kid. A pediatric dentist should be ideal choice for children. The baby’s gums and teeth can be wiped with a wet washcloth after each meal to help removing plaque that gets accumulated on the gums and teeth. Soft bristle toothbrushes with pea sized fluoridated toothpaste can be used to brush the teeth. Also the children should be taught to spit the toothpaste at a very early age and until then the children should use toothpaste without fluorine. Till the kids are good and comfortable doing flossing and brushing, the parents should assist the children.

The children should be fed with calcium rich foods and supplements along with a good oral hygiene to maintain good oral health of children.

The children can be encouraged to brush by changing the color and appearance of toothpastes. Most of the children do like to brush with a fluoride toothpaste but they should be able to spit after brushing. Also, the children need to brush twice a day. Eating snacks made of sugar and carbohydrates needs to be avoided if not at least the teeth should be brushed properly after eating them. It is a good idea to eat nutrition rich food like vegetable, fruits etc instead of sugar candies as they both provide the required nutrition and also strengthens the teeth due to the chewing action.

S. Geetha regularly writes informative articles on dentistry, tooth whitening procedures and dental insurance to web guides http://www.dentalcareonline.info and http://www.healthfriendly.info

Is your child stressed out? Some people think only adults experience stress, but it affects our children too. Here’s how to help your child manage their emotions.

We often view our kids as happy-go-lucky beings without a care. But children can also experience stress. Not only do they get anxious about things in their own young world–school, friends, peer pressure–but they also can be deeply affected by outside factors such as war, natural disasters and other unsettling world events.

In fact, the list of contributors to childhood stress can be quite long. Many stressors are the result of family problems, like divorce, a death or a parent’s job loss but there are also less obvious triggers such as moving to a new city or the birth of a new sibling.

As a parent, you can become attuned to what’s a normal amount of anxiety for your child and what is not. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, use the following tools to help your child handle it better.

Tuning into Anxiety Attack symptoms

1. Tune in to their moods.

Pay attention to your child’s behavior. Take the time to talk to your child to get to the root of the problem. Ask questions like “How are you feeling?” “What’s happening at school?” or “How are things with your friends?”

When you show concern for their problems and issues, it’s reassuring to them and they’ll be more responsive to that attention.

2. Watch the same shows they do.

If you have younger children, you certainly don’t want them watching the doom and gloom of daily news shows. Children’s minds are like sponges in they absorb almost everything they see or hear.

They are especially sensitive to negative energy, pain or suffering. Shows like the news can be traumatizing and anxiety-producing for younger children.

It’s important to discuss with them what they’ve seen. You can’t tell them that it’s never going to happen to them but you can say,”We’re going to do everything we can to protect you”. It’s also a good idea to let them know whom to call and what to do in case of an emergency.

3. Focus on the positive.

There is obviously no way a child can be shielded from a major trauma such as a death in the family, a house fire or a natural disaster. Instead, help children count their blessings. Comfort and reassure them by saying, “We’re strong and we’re going to make it.” “And as difficult as it may be, try to maintain everyday routines.

For many young victims of floods or fire, for example, going back to school, even in another city, can help bring some normalcy back to their disrupted lives. What can also help is to make sure children have positive outlets like physical activity, going to the movies or spending time with friends.

4. Lead by example.

Children often learn to deal with stress by mimicking how you respond in challenging times. Even if you don’t tell your child that you’re about to be laid off from your job or that you’re worried that your marriage is on the verge of breaking up, they can still pick up on your stress.

They may not understand the underlying causes but they can hear the strained tone and elevated volume of your voice,which gives them the message that something’s going on that may affect them too.

That’s why it’s so important to show them good coping skills. If you light a cigarette, have a drink, or use foul language when you’re under pressure, your little one may internalize that as a coping method.

Instead, model healthy behavior during difficult times, such as writing in a journal, de-stressing in a hot bath, sharing how you feel
without blaming, or taking a walk.

5. Instill confidence.

When children are young, there are times when you will have to come to their defense and help them handle tough situations. But as they get older, you also have to let them champion themselves, which builds their confidence in their ability to resolve problems on their own.

One of your missions as a parent is to know when to step in and when to stand back. Your response will depend on the child’s temperament, maturity and the situation.

For example, your third grader may be able to confront a taunting classmate on their own, but a serious case of bullying may warrant your intervention.

Still, always make sure your child knows you’ve got their back. Tell them, “Try it on your own first,but if you need help,let me know and I’ll be there.”

To Your Great Life and Health…

About The Author

Michael Atma is an internationally known author, speaker & success coach. Known as the person to talk to when you’re ready to enjoy massive results, Michael offers simple yet proven strategies to improve the quality of your life in just minutes. Michael’s writing comes straight from the front line of good health and successful living

Michael Atma had helped thousands of people to enjoy the benefits of natural stress relief that meditation brings. Michael has developed “The Ultimate Relaxation Program” which includes his highly acclaimed stress relief CD – The Ultimate Relaxation!

FREE details:=> http://www.theultimaterelaxation.com

One of the first things new parents discover is that putting baby to sleep is not always easy.

Coming out of the gate, it’s often difficult to put a newborn down. This isn’t because babies don’t want to go to sleep, rather it’s because parents aren’t quite ready to stop staring at their tiny new bundles of joy.

Before too long, however, most parents find themselves more than ready for a break. This is when they find putting baby to sleep is quite a job in many cases.

While it is hard to discern right away if a newborn will fall into a three, four or even five-hour schedule, there are things parents can watch for to help them figure it out.

Scheduling is always a good thing to have in place, but there are other signs to be aware of beyond the time on the clock.

Here are a few simple signs for when it is probably time to put your baby down for a nap:

* She starts rubbing her eyes. This is a fairly good indicator that she is tired. Even if she’s only been awake for an hour or two, in the first few weeks of life, it’s normal.

* Yawning. It’s hard to deny this signal even in adults. If she’s yawning, try letting her rest.

* Loss of eye contact. If she starts looking away a lot, she might be too sleepy to try and maintain eye contact. If this sign is coupled with the others, it is time for a nap.

* Cranky behavior. When babies start fussing, at least half the time they are nothing more than tired. This will become very evident in the toddler years, but it counts in the newborn days, too.

Learning that putting baby to sleep when she is tired is a great way to start establishing a routine and getting a schedule going. If she does happen to have her nights and days mixed up, don’t necessarily try to fix this in the first few weeks of life.

As she gets a few weeks under her bonnet, however, slowly adjust the schedule. In the meantime, you can help yourself by watching for her cues and creating a bedtime routine.

When a good bedtime routine is in place, putting baby to sleep comes a little easier.

For creating a routine, consider a very basic plan at first.

The initial routine can include nothing more than a cuddle, a song and a kiss on the head. As she gets older, you might want to incorporate a story, play time or a few others things.

Should baby be having trouble falling to sleep, there are things you can do to help.

The first is to make sure there is nothing wrong with her. If all appears well, check her room for distractions, lighting issues or even too much sound coming in.

If baby’s room is as comfortable and even as dark as possible, chances are putting baby to sleep will not be that difficult - especially if she’s put down when she’s really tired.

Once you get a hang of the signs and can bring yourself to actually put her down, you are sure on the winning path and closer to a good night’s sleep.

Getting a handle on putting your baby to sleep is almost never easy. So, don’t count on marathon sleep session coming for quite some time.

For 21 more free Surprisingly Smarter Baby Sleep Tips you can start using today for a good night’s sleep, just send a blank email. ==> mailto:smartersleeptips@getresponse.com or visit ==> http://www.babydevelopmentnews.com/babysleep.html

Ready for a puppy? Great! If you are looking for a dog that will work best with your family, consider the fact that dogs between the ages of 1 and 5 are best with children. This is because dogs in this age range aren’t as excitable and wanting to play rough as puppies do. Small dogs at this age aren’t old enough to suffer health problems that make older dogs cranky.

The best way to find a puppy good with kids is to adopt one from an rescue center. And there you can ask them what kind of temperament the puppy has. Many shelters test puppies to see how they react to a child environment. Puppies from shelters normally live with volunteers who train them to get used the experiences they’ll find in their permanent home. Ask for a pet that has lived with children.

When at the shelter, test for yourself how the small dog reacts to a gentle touch to his ears. Touch the paws and try putting your finger in his mouth to see what he does. On the floor, try running around and make some noise. Watch the reaction. You are looking for a puppy that accepts the same behavior you will have around your house.

Did you know you can adopt dogs from guide-dog training programs? These are pups that didn’t make the cut as a seeing-eye dog, but make wonderful pets.

If your heart is set on a purebred dog, my advice is to look at the mother and father of the puppy you’re interest in. Their temperament will tell all. If they are sweet, the puppy will be as well. It would surprise you to find many dogs considered good with kids are mean spirited because of the parents.

That said, there really are some breeds better than others for homes with children. For example, the sporting breeds of retrievers and spaniels are known to be gentle. They enjoy to be touched and their bite is generally soft. They are high energy, however, and as puppies can have sharp teeth that can hurt when they nip.

As the world now longs for toy breeds, believe it or not, these aren’t the best with children. The are more self-preserving and can get hurt much easier than a large breed. Dogs that were bred to herd, like border collies, can chase children and bite them.

If you are serious about finding if the dog will be best with your family, you can employ the services of a professional dog trainer in your area and have them run a temperament assessment. They charge around $75 an hour - but it may be worth it. If you use the trainer later with your dog, they will probably do the assessment for free.

In a 2006 study on dog bites by Pediatrics, they recommend that parents wait until children are of school age before getting a dog. Babies were the most likely to be bitten by dogs they knew. Always supervise interaction between dogs and kids.

by Dave Jackson