Baby showers are parties thrown for friends that are pregnant. This practice has significantly changed over the course of the years and has gradually become more and more elaborate and planned.

Baby showers can make an expectant mother feel more secure in the fact that her friends are all pulling for her and giving moral and financial support. Usually the baby shower is organized by non-relatives. But today, there is isn’t abnormal to find family members, support group members, church friends and pretty much anyone except the expecting mother.

Inviting the Guests Who should you invite? Usually, the guest list will only include those nearest and dearest to the expectant mother. It wouldn’t hurt if she gets a first look at the guest list so that she can suggest who should be invited. If you are planning a surprise baby shower, you will have to do a little research on who should be attending instead of running the list through the expectant mother.

If the child is not a firstborn, you may opt to keep the number of guests down to the closest to the mother. Firstborn baby showers tend to have a larger guest list since it is, after all, the mother’s first time.

The thing to remember is that the nature of baby showers is intimacy. So, for any baby shower party, try making the gathering one of intimate friends.

You could use informal ways to invite these guests: email, phone and others. Invitation cards and other letters are the best way, however, as they provide a tangible, traceable evidence of invitation. Plus, it is the most sure and formal way to invite a person - and in many cultures - the only way.

What About the Guys The nature of the party is probably going to tend towards the feminine side; if the organizers of the party have a provision for this, then inviting men would be fine. It also depends on the men, since the party may dwell on topics such as pregnancy, children, and other motherly topics, they might not be that excited to join. All in all, it depends on the preference of the organizers.

Venue Anywhere! As long as it can keep with the placid and fun nature of the occasion, any place would be fine. The more usual places on baby shower lists are backyards, formal halls, restaurants, and basically any room that has the amenities to make a baby shower successful. Just make sure the venue is not crowded and stressful to the mother-to-be. It also pays to make sure the venue is set long before the actual baby shower happens.

When to Throw a Baby Shower Usually this is one or two months before her due. The baby shower is the perfect time to get your friend baby needs and stuff she may not have had time to purchase yet. It has to be well-timed though - not too close to the due date, and not to far as to whittle down the excitement.

Baby showers are a pleasant surprise to expecting mothers. It takes a lot of the stress of expecting a child off of their minds and provides a means for friends to show support and concern (and of course, baby gifts) to expecting friends.

A properly coordinated baby shower will be greatly appreciated and forever remembered by mothers long after they have delivered their children.

For more information about this part of planning a baby shower, please refer to my baby shower guide at:

http://www.bruisedonion.com/products/baby_showers_guide/

For More Information Resources and Helpful Articles about Parenting and Baby visit:

http://www.bruisedonion.com/guide/parenting/

http://www.bruisedonion.com/guide/baby%20names/

http://www.bruisedonion.com/guide/babies/

Preschool daycare is normally where little tots between the ages of 3 & 6 are enrolled to learn how to act together with other kids there own age while their parents are at work. Nevertheless, preschool daycare can also be carried out in one’s home by a qualified child minder of the parent’s choosing.

Qualified preschool daycare centers now also offer first-class educational programs that help children build up academically and physically, as well as socially. Parents are advised to be very meticulous in the establishment they finally select for their child. The more suited a centre is to a child’s individual needs, the happier that child will be.

Licensing is very important, especially in preschool day care. This ensures that both the standards at the centre and the quality of instruction offered by its staff are of a good quality. This standard will meet the requirements demanded by recognized educational bodies in the country.

References from satisfied parents are also a must. Most establishments are able to furnish a dozen or more references at the drop of a hat. However, parents are recommended, often by the institution themselves, to speak with the referees and assure themselves that the services and facilities at the centre suits their child’s needs.

Cost does not always mean quality. Preschool daycare institutions are listed en masse in the yellow pages. Calling them, and their referees, often enables parents to make a rough estimate of the cost and also allows them to narrow down the number of preschool daycare choices in their area in a short space of time.

The main issue that arises when enrolling a child in preschool daycare is whether or not they are physically and mentally ready for the lessons offered by the preschool daycare centers.

Enrolling a child for any sort of instruction before he is able to understand and enjoy it, is not advisable. In the long run, it will prove counter productive to the parent’s intention to lay the groundwork for future education, as it will ultimately make the child dislike preschool daycare altogether.

The child should be happy and comfortable in their preschool daycare environment. It may take them a week or two or even three, to adjust to their new surroundings and minders but, once they settle down, they generally don’t want to leave it.

After school chats as well as the occasional open discussions with other parents are essential to keep in touch with what’s happening. These conversations help in drawing out issues and problems. This discussion will also help parent determine how happy the child is at the centre. This helps parents form a clearer picture of what a normal day at preschool daycare is like for their child.

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For all kinds of great information about day cares and what to look for and when to look for help, please visit Scott”s website at: Free Day Care Info”

There are children that are naturally more outgoing than others. As a parent, you should understand that shyness or inhibition is driven by both genetic and environmental factors.

However, this temperament isn’t necessarily permanent and does not always determine a child’s personality when he or she grows up. In fact, these traits can be influenced by time and life experiences — a timid person may overcome his shyness, while a confident person might become withdrawn.

There are many ways to help a child overcome shyness. But, first, you have to look into the reason why your child is too shy for his or her age. Go back to your earliest recollection of your childhood. Were you and your partner shy when you were at that age? Are either of you shy up to now? Remember that you are your child’s social model.

Your responses and interaction with other people are your child’s first social template. Model social phrases for common situations, like greeting a person “Good morning!” or “How are you today?”, asking permission (”May I help you with that?”), or introducing oneself (”Hello, I’m __. How do you do?”) are great starters.

Meaningful and fun interaction with siblings is also necessary. Observe the quality of interaction they have and make sure the older ones do not overshadow the younger kids. You can also arrange play dates or have a friend who has a child over to play with yours. Take time out to bring your child to a place where he or she can meet with kids of the same age.

Healthy social development is central in early childhood. If you feel you’ve exhausted all means to draw your child out and he or she still stays withdrawn, do not be afraid to seek professional help. Shyness can sometimes turn out to be a manifestation of behavioral difficulty.

Some kids are naturally shy and sensitive, and may need more time to adjust to their surroundings and with new faces. Give them that time. Don’t force them to interact if they’re not ready as it increases the risk of them being more scared of people in the long run. Introducing your child to the people around him or her is a good start, and will make him or her comfortable and safe. But let the first move truly come from him or her and let it happen naturally.

By: Matthew Roberts.

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Matthew Roberts (the author of this article) has set you up with a special gift on his website.

In an exclusive personal interview he uncovered the secret success strategies of multi-millionaire John Di Lemme. For your FREE 18 minute extract of this interview, head on over to Inspiration To Achieve Goal Setting Success

Though many parents don’t realize it, a child’s development is closely connected to their child care environment. Development in child care facilities, particularly during their toddler years, can have a huge impact on children. There are a number of stages that a child may go through, and the level of a child’s development in a child care facility generally depends on the facility’s approach to learning. Special care in a child’s development should always be taken.

Types of Development Occurring in Child Care Facilities

There are many types of development that occur both in child care facilities and outside of them. Social development is one example of this. Social development is something that occurs as a child matures and ages. One very important factor in social development is allowing a child to interact with other children. This is an area that child care facilities definitely play a major role in developing. Day care centers and other child care facilities allow children to come into contact with many other children that they may not have otherwise been exposed to had they been taken care of by a babysitter or a nanny.

Not only can children develop better socially in day care centers because they are around other children that are not from their family, but also because they’re coming in contact with children that may be very different from themselves. Children can be exposed to other kids from completely different social, ethnic, economic, and cultural backgrounds. This is not something they would be able to do in most other types of child care settings.

Children may also learn language skills in day care centers. This is due to the fact that toddlers, in particular, tend to learn a lot by speaking or babbling with the older children. Also, many child care facilities will mix activities such as singing and rhyming in with their lessons. This type of learning can greatly aid children in developing their language skills.

Other activities like free-play can allow toddlers and young children to develop their physical coordination and motor skills. Motor development skills are also encouraged through the implementation of activities such as puzzles and painting. If children are fed properly at day care centers, as many now encourage, they are also receiving help with their physical well-being.

Day care centers and other similar child care facilities can help children develop many other necessary skills as well as the ability to learn better. For example, children tend to develop their imagination through pretend play with other kids. Also, they become more active learners as they’re able to use different toys and other learning materials that may not be available to them in their home environment. This type of active learning can also help children develop greater attention spans, as they may have to entertain themselves at certain times.

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Brought to you as a courtesy from Child Day Care Centers Center, a member of the Child Care network.

As parents we are our children’s very earliest teacher – a very important role – so we need to model for our children the kinds of behaviours that we wish them to follow. Creating a relationship based on respect for each other, appreciating them as they are and encouraging them towards responsibility and independence are important goals for parents in nurturing their young child.

Here are 7 tips to being an inspiring first teacher for your child and to having a loving and close relationship with them:

1. Show your child respect by giving them lots of cuddles and time

2. Get down to their eye level and really listen to what they are saying. Listen with your lips shut as well as with your heart

3. Understand things more from their perspective and talk about their feelings

4. Appreciate the things they can do and praise them

5. Let them have a go first as they try new things instead of doing things for them

6. Allow them to do some little jobs like helping put toys away. This helps them learn to be responsible

7. Notice the things they can do by themselves as they get older and praise them. This will encourage your child to keep on striving to achieve new goals and eventually become independent

When you parent your little one keeping these 7 tips in mind, you will be building a wonderful close bond, while encouraging them to grow and develop to their full potential. And isn’t that after all what we as parents want most of all?

By: Barbara Beccari

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Barbara Beccari is co-author of a children’s picture book about respectful relationships. Barbara is co-founder of parentSCOPE, a parent-coaching business acknowledged for its innovation. parentSCOPE supports parents to have loving and close relationships with their children, from toddlers to teens. Check us out on www.parentscope.com.au to find out more.

I have spent my career researching early learning in children and babies. My carefully designed programs have achieved remarkable results, teaching babies as young as six months to read. Now, anyone can quickly and easily put their child on the path to acquiring essential learning skills by following these proven activities:

1. Use Multi-Sensory Learning
When your child shows an interest in a particular topic, try to help them learn about it using as many sensory systems as possible. If your child is interested in learning about flowers, let them see, smell, touch, and even hear the gentle sound the flower makes brushing against their ear. This type of learning is usually more interesting for the child, and more effective.

2. Respond to Your Baby
An important skill for parents is the ability to respond to the interests of their infant. This will help them more easily understand their world. The baby looking at their toes could be told, “These are your toes.” This means the infant would simultaneously have visual (seeing her toes), auditory (listening to you say “these are your toes”), and haptic (feeling you touch her toes) information. This helps a young baby develop a very elaborate idea of “toes”. These types of responsiveness activities may also increase their IQ.

3. Categorize
A fundamental building block for intelligence is the ability to categorize. You can stimulate your child by grouping animals or objects that are similar. For instance, your child’s toys or clothes could be grouped by color, size, shape, material, or function. Simply show them and say, “This is a sock and this is a sock. This is not a sock.” Your baby should enjoy the activity because they will be able to see you sort the clothing, hear your voice, touch the soft clothing, and smell the clean clothes.

4. Improve Spatial Reasoning Abilities
Studies have shown that infants who self-locomote using a walker improve their spatial abilities. This improvement may be a result of infants’ increased attention to objects when they self locomote rather than being carried. Pediatricians recommend that parents not use walkers for safety reasons; however, in safe conditions, a walker can help improve an infant’s spatial abilities. Reading simple maps and playing with mazes can also improve your toddler’s spatial reasoning abilities.

5. Play Classical Music for Your Infant or Toddler
Play classical music for your infant or toddler on a regular basis. In a controlled study, young children who listened to classical music outperformed those who had not listened to classical music.

6. Learn a Second Language
It is easier for a young child to learn a second language than it is for adults. A recent study found that children who learned a second language after the age of 11 had two distinct areas of the brain for understanding language — one for their native language and one for their second language. Children who learned a second language before the age of four had one large area of the brain active for both languages. This suggests that children who learn language skills in their first years are able to develop brains that are more efficient.

7. Respond to Your Infant’s Sounds
If the parent responds excitedly to a baby’s new sound and repeats the sound to the baby, then the connection to make that sound will have some value to the infant and it will likely be strengthened. On the other hand, if the infant makes a new sound and no one responds — the baby will be less likely to repeat that sound. Not only does the infant probably feel more attached to caregivers who respond to their sounds, but they can learn to make more sounds when people respond.

8. Make Learning Videos for Your Child
Parents can make learning videos for their infants and toddlers. Be sure to include your family in the video. This will attract your child’s attention and allow them to see you even when you are away. You may want to include your child’s name and the words ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’ in your video.

9. Play Games!
Matching games are fun. Show your infant one item, for example a tennis ball. Next, show your baby several other objects and ask him/her to find the one that matches the first object. Talk with your child throughout the game and describe how the objects are the same or different. These fun games help the child learn more about object properties such as color, material, function, shape, etc.

10. Use Different Postures During Play
Allow your infant to play while in different postures and locations. Make soft, clean, safe areas for your baby to play while on its stomach, back, and seated. Set up these play spaces in different locations. Babies may practice lifting their heads or rolling over while on their stomachs. While on their backs, infants may play with activity gyms, practice rolling, or look at objects. It may be easier for infants to explore toys while in a bouncer.