Learning don’t only thrives within walls of your home. Yes, early relationship starts at home, but there’s so much your tot can learn outside; when he mingles with other tots or even just by watching them. Everything can be a social opportunity for your toddler -- you just have to guide them all the way. Guiding, though, doesn’t mean you interrupt and push your toddler to do this and that. Most of the time he finds it out on his own. Some child takes pleasure  watching, some interacting. You just have to watch and learn.  
 
One old school way of playing and interacting with other kids is through “tin can phone”. I bet you played this game way back when you were a toddler , too. ​A tin can phone was used as a form of communication using two tin cans or plastic cups attached by a string in the middle. “One person would speak into one side where the other person would hold it up to their ear. The vibrations would travel and therefore the individuals could communicate”  
 
Beyond this mundane and not-so-flashy type of game, your tot can benefit from it especially on the area of “communication”. The more your child talk, the more she learns. She learns the foundation of communication which is to listen. She will also learn to find ways to respond and be heard. Overtime, she will learn to share, take turns, and solve conflicts. And most of all, she will somehow understand, on her level of thinking, what is it like to have a friend and to be a friend to someone.  
 
Here are other communication games that you and your tot and her playmates can do from author Eileen Bailey: Telling Stories.​ Cut out pictures from magazines and place them in a box.  Take turns pulling out one picture and tell a story of what you think is happening in the picture.  Play Feeling Charades.​  Make up cards with as many different feelings as you can think of: Happy, Sad, Angry, Excited, Bored, Scared, Nervous, Unhappy, Tired, Pleased, Interested, Uninterested, etc.  Play Action Charades:​  Make up cards with as many action words as you can think of: Run, Jump, Walk, Hopped, Ran, Skipped, Hurried, Tiptoed, Stir, Stretched, Rolled.

Use puppets.​  Sometimes children find it easier to talk if they are doing it through a puppet.  Have a variety of puppets, some happy, some sad, some silly.  Have your child use the appropriate puppet to tell you about their day. Role Playing.​  Make up cards with different activities.  This can be geared toward whatever age or situation your child is currently going through.  Finish the Story.​  Use pictures from magazines and tell a short story about the picture. Stop the story so that your child can continue it and make their own ending.  A few years down the road, your child will discover that friendship is a process of handling emotions and practicing new skills. And the interactions she has had with you or with her childhood friends through communication and play will have provided the foundation for successful, long-lasting friendships.
 

Source: Games to Help Teach Children Communication Skills. http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/1443/61249/children-communication/

So you know what and how to feed your baby, how to change their diaper, and how to take care of them. But a baby’s needs go way beyond just the physical kind. Here’s how to take care of your baby on the emotional level, and to make sure they grow up both healthy and happy.

Face Watching

Just like most fully grown people, a baby can express different kinds of emotions through their cries and their facial expressions. A sensitive parent will be able to tell the difference between different types of crying and expressions, so keep an eye on their cute little face to read their emotions. Pay attention to how they express themselves and how they react to the world around them.

Independence

As your baby develops further, you'll have to allow them to learn how to self-soothe, or comfort themselves. The first place they’ll learn how to do this is during sleeping periods. Sometimes, your infant may cry in the middle of the night. At first, it’s normal to always check on them, but as they grow up, you’ll have to do that less and less. Provided that they are in a safe and secure environment (P.S. don't put anything in your baby's crib), you can just leave them alone. Other ways to teach them to self-soothe is by letting them pick up toys they dropped, or letting them get up on their own after falling. This will foster emotional independence in them; it teaches them that feeling bad is okay.

Playtime!

Another way to raise a happy baby is encouraging creativity and having fun! Let them play around with toys, like stacking blocks, simple puzzles, etc. The sense of creativity not only helps develop their brain, but also gives them a sense of accomplishment.

Photo from: https://cognikids.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/happy-baby-800x600.jpg

Anyone who has ever held an infant knows how small and fragile they look. Early on their necks are too weak to support their heads, and cry almost all the time. But babies are capable of more than just eating, pooping, and crying. Your little darling has a lot of hidden abilities that will be listed in this article.

Facial Reading

Your baby may not be capable of reading letters and numbers yet, but they make up for that through reading your facial expressions and body language. This is an amazing ability, considering that a baby is born with no knowledge about emotional and social cues. They learn through you and the faces you make, and they pick up on this quickly and begin to imitate.

Super Grip

If you reach your finger out to your baby, they will usually reach out and grab it, curling their fingers around yours. This is actually an evolutionary reflex that came from the time when infants would hold onto their parents while they travelled, and it’s called the palmar grasp. Babies are known to be able to support their entire body weight with this grip (WARNING: do not test this out, you can still injure your baby), something that only a handful of adults can do.

Eagle Eyes

Another ability babies have that adults don’t is their super keen eyesight. It’s well known that a person’s eyesight deteriorates as they grow older, so this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Studies have shown that babies possess a certain hypersensitivity in their eyesight, which is why they always seem so fascinated by the world around them. So the next time your baby won’t stop looking so closely at their favorite stuffed bear, now you know why.

Interconnected Senses

Have you ever heard of synesthesia? It’s a condition that links certain senses together, like sight and smell. People with this condition can describe colors by their tastes, or textures by their sound. It’s rare in adults, but surprisingly common in infants. Scientists theorize that this is due to the high interconnectivity of the synapses in a baby’s brain, which lessen over time.

Supersonic Hearing

Have you ever seen a cat’s ears perk up when they hear a faint noise? Some animals are known for this kind of sensitive hearing, but did you know that your baby is capable of this too? Sensitive hearing is an evolutionary trait that keeps our ancestors safe and aware of their surroundings. But as we grow up, our brain learns to “prioritize” certain sounds and filter out unimportant noises.

Aqua Baby!

If you’ve ever tried taking your baby out to the pool, but are worried about them accidentally inhaling water, fret not! In the first six months of their life, babies are capable of holding their breath underwater and swimming around. This could be an evolutionary trait, but most scientists attribute this to the nine months babies spent floating around in the womb. Be careful, though. This reflex disappears after the first six months.

Healing Hands

Your baby’s been showing off superpowers before they were even born! As an infant is developing in the womb, they produce stem cells, which are cells capable of turning into specialized cells in the body. If a pregnant person is hurt, sometimes the baby will send stem cells to the injured part of the body to help heal them. Some pregnant women have been known to recover from heart attacks spontaneously because of this.

The Moral Code

Babies have been shown to have a basic sense of right and wrong. In a study at Yale University Infant Cognition Center, infants preferred the nicer of two puppets, who looked identical apart from the color of their shirts. After the two puppets did good and bad actions respectively, the babies would avoid the bad puppet and favor the good one.

Have you learned anything new about your little superhero?

Photo from: https://a.dilcdn.com/bl/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/babyzone/2013/12/LOW-SuperheroBaby-3459x2594-ts-174387570.jpg

One of the greatest moments as a parent is when their baby eyes see you! Face to face, for the first time! Although somewhat blurry and abuzz, it still counts, right?

From birth, baby begins exploring the wonders of the world through their eyes.
Even before they learn to reach and grab with their hands or crawl and sit-up, their eyes are providing information and stimulation important for development.
Healthy eyes and good vision play a critical role on how infants and children learn to see. 

There are many things parents can do to assure their baby's vision is developed properly. The following are some examples of age-appropriate activities from the American Optometric Association (AOA):

Birth to four months

• Use a nightlight or other dim lamp in your baby's room.
• Change the crib's position frequently and change your child's position in it.
• Keep reach-and-touch toys within your baby's focus, about eight to twelve inches.
• Talk to your baby as you walk around the room.
• Alternate right and left sides with each feeding.

Five to eight months

• Hang a mobile, crib gym or various objects across the crib for the baby to grab, pull and kick.
• Give the baby plenty of time to play and explore on the floor.
• Provide plastic or wooden blocks that can be held in the hands.
• Play patty cake and other games, moving the baby's hands through the motions while saying the words aloud.

Nine to twelve months

• Play hide and seek games with toys or your face to help the baby develop visual memory.
• Name objects when talking to encourage the baby's word association and vocabulary development skills.
• Encourage crawling and creeping.

One to two years

• Roll a ball back and forth to help the child track objects with the eyes visually.
• Give the child building blocks and balls of all shapes and sizes to play with to boost fine motor skills and small muscle development.
• Read or tell stories to stimulate the child's ability to visualize and pave the way for learning and reading skills. As your child grows, so does his eye care needs. Sometimes we tend to overlook this things especially during early childhood years. But even if no eye or vision problems are apparent, at about age 6 months, you should take your baby to your Optometrist for his first thorough eye examination.

Sepanx is a popular term nowadays that simply means “Separation Anxiety”. Each one of us might have been aware of this dreadful feeling as early as our kindergarten days. And now, it’s time for your baby to feel the same. So mommy, expect that your child will give you goodbye tears every time you, basically, bid bye bye.
 
There are different reasons as to why your child experience separation anxiety. But basically, the main reason is that they believe that survival at any phase solely depends on the visibility of their parents or caregiver. When you leave your child, it makes him feel unsecured. He doesn't have a strong sense of time to figure out when will you return thus the clinging, screaming and crying. For him, leaving him for 30 minutes is the same as you not being around for a day. That’s how it works in his young mind.  

You might be familiar with the line “Fake it till you make it”, soooo here we round up tricks and activities that you can use till your baby can make his way thru separation anxiety:
 
1. Your preschooler could bring a comfort object to school. This could help ease his separation anxiety and reassure him that he brings a piece of home with him. It could be his stuff toy, favorite coloring book, his tumbler or anything he finds solace in. Children almost always outgrow the need to bring a comfort object to school.

2. Avoid putting drama and fanfare when saying goodbye. Keep it short, simple and sweet. When you pick him up at the end of the day, let it stick to his mind that you come back as you promise. Through this, you can avoid upsetting drop-off and teary tales all over again.

3. Do not be get tempted on going back and checking her out once you already left. If you keep on going back and check her, it will create a reciprocal actions which means she’ll check on you constantly, too. Ut may also drive her attention away from the activities she should be doing because she knows you might just be somewhere around. 

4. Never tell your child that he’s not behaving well compared to other kids. Handling separation anxiety varies from child to child. Respect your child’s process of coping up and getting by and by.  

5. Praise his little efforts and his achievements. This way, he will feel that it feels good to improve and get appreciated for the little things he does. Give positive reinforcement.
 
We know that it’s hard to hear our child cry. It kind of melts our hearts every time they do. However,  remember that separation anxiety does have a positive aspect: It indicates that a healthy attachment has bonded a caregiver and child.  There is no due date for when separation anxiety appears or disappears. Every child is unique, and they will learn at their own time, at their own pace. Cherish those moments when they still cling lovingly and innocently because whether you like it or not, they grow up definitely way too fast!

Nothing can replace breast milk. It is the gold standard for your baby’s nutrition. 
But mommy, did you know that breastfeeding benefits you and your baby? Yes! It’s a give and take relationship at its best. While your baby is busy sucking your wondrous breastmilk, something amazing is also going on with you!

For Babies
Your milk provides the many nutrition like protein, calcium, fat, vitamin A, and other nutrients that your baby needs even before he learns to swallow solid food. Milk also boosts their immune system that shoo away hosts of illnesses such as ear infections, upper respiratory infections and more. Studies also show that your baby’s brain development is optimized. Robin Elise Weiss said that babies who nurse off of both breasts are put into different positions, and have the chance to look and reach in different directions which exercise the baby's reach and mind.

For Mommies
It makes moms healthier, too! Moms who breastfeed are less likely to have breast cancer and reduced risk of ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer. As an all -around, always on-the-go mom that you are, you have a looot of things to do! It's easy to get caught up in work, chores, and family matters. Breastfeeding is a blessing-in-disguise to get the chance to sit down and calm down with your little one. Also, breastfeeding may delay menstruation for a year or more ­ because it causes the release of prolactin, which keeps estrogen and progesterone at bay so ovulation isn’t actuated.

For babies and mommies
Breastfeeding is a chance for mom and baby to connect, bond, and be literally close to each other!

Extended breastfeeding
Now, let’s echo the famous line “breastfeeding is best for babies up to 3 years” Yes! Extended breastfeeding is good for you and your baby, too. Even though your child gets most of his nutrition from solid food, breast milk still provides calories, growth hormones, valuable immunity, vitamins, and enzymes. The composition of your breast milk will continue to change to meet the nutritional needs of your child. Your breast milk is tailor fitted to your baby! There's no known age at which breast milk is considered to become nutritionally insignificant. Doctor Sears also mentioned that if it's working for you and your child, and your mothering instinct tells you it's right—it's right! 

But of course, extended breastfeeding does take some planning. You may check out other articles that feature extended breastfeeding planning.

Kids love to explore everything. They are enjoying their big world making new friends and playing around; always craving for something new and challenging things! I bet their motto is “Never stop exploring” and you can completely agree with that.

It can be very helpful for your child if you encourage him to join sports.Let him choose one that is close to his interest and might definitely be enjoyable for him once he’s in, and then, have him sign up on that. Just make sure that you are always there by his side being an all-out-supporter so that your child won’t lose his motivation. You can consider these sports suggestion for your child: tennis, table tennis, softball, baseball, basketball, badminton, soccer, gymnastics, swimming or martial arts. Your child for sure, will gain something once they are engaged in a sport. So, these are some of the things he will surely learn, treasure and enjoy:

• Being involved in sports decrease the risk of obesity. Obesity is one of the most common health problems that children face nowadays and active participation in sports is one way to prevent it.
• Joining a sport could be a source of social-support. Your child will learn how to socialize well with different kids because of the teams that he will surely become part of.
• Teamwork! “United we stand, dividedwefall” is the basic principle of sports. Your child will surely learn the importance of having a good connection with his teammates.
• A study shows that sports contribute to the development of self-esteem in kids. Just some simple sport gestures like a high-five with your teammate or a handshake with your opponent helps build the character of your child.

Losing a game is indeed saddening for kids and adults alike so it’s normal when you see your child crying after losing a “battle against his opponent”. It’s actually not something extraordinary. But that doesn’t need to stop there. We need to teach them at a very early age on how to be a good sports and on how to accept defeat. Teach them to control their reaction when losing happens. They need to be reminded that not winning is normal and there is a time to win or to lose. It is also important that you say him words that actually gives relief like “Even though you didn’t take home the top spot, you are still the winner for me no matter what!” Let him feel that at the end of the game, it’s never about winning or losing but how well he enjoyed the game.

When your child becomes involved in the world of sports, he will strive to become the best that he can be. By engaging in sports, your child will not only become stronger physically but also mentally, socially, psychologically and emotionally. At the end of the day, the best thing that he will learn is how to overcome any challenges and obstacles that will come his way because that’s how sports are played.

When it comes to dengue, some adult clinical manifestations can be different from that of children. It is important for parents to know the difference. Likewise, healthcare providers should take note of these differences when in the process of proclaiming a diagnosis for probable cases of dengue.

For instance, headache and muscle pain are more common among adults, while coughing, vomiting, abdominal pain, and red rashes are more common among children. Curiously, muscle pain is milder in more benign cases of dengue. Science is yet to prove why.

Among major bleeding symptoms, having nosebleed is more common in children, while gum bleeding is more common in adults.

These proven differences in the manifestation of diseases such as dengue are some of the notable proofs that children are not small adults. Maybe it can be endearing to think of them as such, but no. They’re really just children.

We mommies always go the extra mile to make sure that our babies are protected from the most serious to not-so illnesses. One of the most common illnesses experienced by baby, toddlers, and preschooler is “Hand, Foot and Mouth disease” Find out what is it, how it spreads, its symptoms and diagnosis, and they ways to prevent it.

What is Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease?
Hand foot and mouth disease is a disease caused by viruses under the ​Enterovirus group. ​Enteroviruses are a genus of positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses associated with several human and mammalian diseases. Enteroviruses are named by their transmission-route through the intestine. ​It is usually common for children but an adult may also get contaminated by the disease. Although it is mild, it is quite contagious and can easily spread. This particular disease is identified with sores in the mouth, hand, and feet. It usually last up to a week only.

How does Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease Spread?
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease can easily spread. A person may get infected when come in contact with an infected person's stool, saliva and fluid from blister. It can also spread when an infected person coughs and sneezes. Direct contact with areas that have been exposed with an infected person may also cause the disease. For example a mother changed her infected daughter's' diaper, her other child may have come into contact with the area where the mother changed the diaper, that child will most like get infected if the area was not cleaned and sanitized properly.

Symptoms of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease
A baby infected with hand-foot-and-mouth disease may show symptoms such as high fever, loss of appetite, sore throat, sores in the body particularly in the hands, feet, and inside the mouth although the sores may extend in the buttocks and neck. An infant will get irritable when infected. It usually takes a week or less for an infected person to show sign of the disease.

How is Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease Diagnose?
A doctor can diagnose this disease with a simple physical examination. The doctor will most likely take a look of the sores or blister. They would also get a sample of the stool or take a throat swab.

How is Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease Treated?
Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease usually goes away after several days even without treatment. Although there are some home remedies that are use in treating the disease.
Drinking and eating cold thing such as ice cream, juice, and popsicles helps in reducing the soreness in the throat. Acidic and spicy food should be avoided at all cost. Sometimes a doctor may also prescribe over the counter medicine such as ointments for the sores and blisters, pain killers such as ibuprofen and the likes.

How is Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease Prevented?
Proper hygiene is the key! This particular disease can easily avoided if we make hand washing a habit. We should always wash our hands with soap and water before and after contact of the toilet. If you are a mother of an infant, you should wash your hands after changing the diaper of your child. We should also properly clean and sanitize areas and objects that we usually come into contact. Avoid coming into contact with persons infected with the disease.