Starting solids? Have Benadryl ready
My daughter started solid food recently. First rice, then oatmeal, then barley cereal. The first two went well, but not so much with barley. About 30 minutes after her first feeding (about 1 tablespoon) of barley cereal, her face started breaking out in hives. I called the doctor and left a message for a nurse to get back to me. No time to wait. As a person with severe allergies, I know that when a reaction starts problems can escalate quickly. I threw some shoes on, put my daughter in her car seat and headed out the door for the local pharmacist. I figured Benadryl would be the recommendation, but I didn’t have any on hand and I didn’t know the right dosage (2 milliliters for us, but check with your doctor.) A pretty simple fix. The hives went back down within an hour. But here’s a little advice from a collection of books and Web resources:
- Know what to look for — hives, rashes, wheezing, vomiting, diarrhea
- Start with one tablespoon for first feeding
- Start with cereals, then veggies, then fruits
- Try only one new food per week
- Have Benadryl on hand
It’s not too late to call
Packing three or four bags, a car seat and a baby, I frequently seem to be running late. After all, who can really plan for those little accidents that require last-minute diaper changes or an all out outfit change? And, I guess if I’m being honest, I probably wasn’t that great at being on time before I had a baby. But now I at least have an excuse.
We are all late sometimes. But I thought it would be important to note that when running late it is polite to call (or text) people who may be waiting for you. Recently, I have had several people simply not show up to meetings I had scheduled with them. They didn’t answer my phone calls. They didn’t answer the door when I knocked and were simply not heard from until hours or days later.
I completely understand that things come up, but it is always good manners to inform others that you are late or need to reschedule. Apologize. Give a (realistic) approximate time of arrival. Propose a time to reschedule if needed. Apologize again. Honestly, give it a try. People are more forgiving when they know what is going on with you.
Ronisha Carpenter
‘The sun’s in my eyes!’
That’s something I hear almost every morning as I drive eastbound on Kilpatrick Turnpike. My toddler, who is strapped in to his car seat, in the middle of the back row, is in direct exposure to the glaring sun every morning.
I’ll hold up my purse, a sheet of paper, his backpack, anything to keep the sun out of his eyes. He’s even been seen sporting my huge sunglasses.
According to Dr. David Granet, a pediatric ophthalmologist who writes in for BabyCenter.com, sunglasses for babies and toddlers is a great idea. UV rays raise risks for problems later in life, including cataracts or poor vision. Here are a few tips:
1. Wear sunglasses yourself, because toddlers want to copy their parents. I usually wear mine … unless he insists on wearing mine.
2.If your child is very resistant to wearing sunglasses, try a visor or cap. I’m lucky that my son love baseball caps. He’ll occasionally pull it down over his eyes to keep out the sun.
3. If buying sunglasses, make sure the label says it blocks 99 to 100% of UVA and UVB rays. The lens color doesn’t matter when it comes to blocking rays. Of course, your toddler will look cooler with some heavy-tinted shades.
4. Good sunglasses don’t need to cost a fortune. A good pair can be found for $10 to $50. My son has Hot Wheels sunglasses that block 100% of rays and I got them for $7. More importantly, he’ll wear them.
I also used window sunshades when my son was an infant, on the two back windows and rear window of my car as an extra layer of protection.
Like using sunblock to protect children’s skin, protecting their eyes should be equally as important. It’s not something you always hear about or think about, but just remember when you’re out in the sun, to protect those little peepers.
-Erica Smith, Copy Editor
Wising up
I have been reading On Becoming Baby Wise because it has been recommended to me by numerous people. Many people seem to swear by it and say it really helped them particularly to get their infants to sleep through the night and follow a routine.
This week, I have been trying the techniques, which involve parent-directed feeding and feed-wake-sleep cycles. And I can honestly say it has not boded well for me. My daughter has been crying more than I can ever remember her crying. And she has not slept through the night at all this week. In fact, she’s woken at least twice every night. Previously, she had been sleeping through about four out of seven nights during the week. I just thought I could help the process and encourage her to start falling asleep on her own rather than rocking and singing her to sleep as we had been doing.
The book is written for parents-to-be or parents of newborns who are just starting out of their parenting journeys and are looking to establish routines and good sleeping habits. My daughter is 6 months old. We have a loose schedule that we follow, and we let her take daytime naps when she’s tired and not necessarily on a schedule. So, it has been difficult for me to adapt Baby Wise for her. The techniques they use are more of a process that you use from day one or at least the first couple of weeks. You follow them for several weeks with the hope that by ten or 12 weeks your child will sleep through the night and be on a set schedule.
I am not sure how to jump into the middle of a plan like that, but if you have read this book and have any suggestions I’m willing to listen. Also, I hear there is a Baby Wise II for infants 5 months to 15 months. I think I will check that out to see if it can offer more guidance. But in the meantime, I’m going back to the rocking chair.
Ronisha Carpenter
Musical beds – April Fools’ Day, child style
Last night I switched my children around in their sleep. They all woke up in different beds, only having a vague recollection of me carrying them elsewhere. April Fools’! The idea came from an Austin, Texas, friend on Facebook. It turned out funny.
Do you remember how fun April Fools’ Day from a child’s perspective could be when the joke wasn’t mean or harmful? How fun it was to joke with friends and teachers, who I’m sure could see right through our unsuccessful attempts to keep a straight face.
I’ve already figured out what I’m going to do next year. Shhhh. Don’t tell my children, but here it is:
I’m going to get dressed really early and tell my kids we’re going to arrive early and unrushed for school. Based on our usual morning routine, it won’t take them long to figure out that’s just another one for April Fools’!
It would be fun to hear more from you about your funny, harmless elementary school-level pranks or jokes. Post them at blog.newsok.com/hiccups.
~ Lillie-Beth Brinkman, niche publications writer/editor
(lbrinkman@opubco.com)
