Your Parenting Tips

[antoinette]

when buying clotes for you bub always buy one size bigger they are a bit bigger for cumfort and last longer no need to buy so many clothes.

[mumto3girls]

Lead by example:
* drink water (and don't add stuff to "make it taste better"!!)
* eat your vegies
* don't yell, swear and throw your own adult tantrums (yes, it's difficult some times, lol)
* wash your hands, brush your teeth.
* say please, thank you, you're welcome, etc.

Kids imitate you in so many ways.

[brooksey]

hi i had a night shift baby witch means she was awake all night and slept all day to turn her around i gave her asleep every 4 hours after her feed and for night feeds i didnt speek to her or make any direct eye contact with her cause as soon as i spoke she was completely awake and if i didnt speek she was what i call semi awake

[brooksey]

omg indeed do you realise that if you leave your newborn screeming for one and a half hours that they can suffer brain damage i dont no where you live but if i was your neighbour i would report your ass THAT IS CHILD ABUSE it sounds like you really dont deserve to be a mother
it took me and my partner years to conceve i could never put my child in that much danger GET SOME HELP women

[brooksey]

hi i totally agree i have 8 bottles in my fridge i sterilise them all fill them with boiling hot water and put them in the fridge so all i have to do is heat the water and put in the formula and if your day is really busy and you havent had the time to do your dishes there is 4 more waiting

[thorsmama]

Hi! My baba is nearly 11 months and I notice he can get bored especially when we've hung out at home all day played with all the toys (inside and out), watched all the fun stuff on the box, listened to his fave sounds, I've found putting him in the pram and hitting the road is great for visual stimulation with the scenery constantly changing, noises everything. It's also really good if you've got a hectic household or had a rough day to be able to collect your thoughts and have some time away. Another tip would be the set of 'snap and go' wheels that attach to the newborn carseat makes life so much easier when they're so tiny you don't have to shift the from carseat to pram, also joining a toy library was great for us I wish I'd done it with my older children the toys are of a great standard especially the really expensive ones that I could never afford otherwise. But lastly our youngest is our 5th baby but even when he was about 5 months old I'd still look at him in amazement and thank God I'd had him and to be blessed even with all the hard stuff you can go thru cherish the times oh and also capture those moments if you can with cameras, video cameras, hope these help!

[elorasmum]

Try to keep it all in perspective and pick your fights. I know its hard but sometimes you just need to think, does it really matter if she ...... (insert verb here).
Choose whats really important and stick to it. Dont fight over something you dont really care about so you end up giving in. If it really matters in 6 months time then great do it, if not, whats the big deal? Let her stick a piece of chalk on the door knob.

[Proud.Mum.of.5]

Congrats on your 7th. If u dont mind me asking were they are all planned and were they single births. I admire you. I would like to have a large family but I just dont think I have the patience.

[funnytaj]

Hi everyone
My son is 2yrs 4mths now but as a baby i had to work hard to get him into a good sleeping rountine. He had promblems with colic and reflex. I never let him cry for longer than 10minutes though, but when i put him to bed i would wake him slightly if he had fallen asleep having bottle. He was then made to learn how to get himself off to sleep. So many baby's have to have bottle, breast or be rocked to sleep. My tip is that if they do fall asleep this way that you wake them before putting them in bed then they know where they have gone to sleep and it makes it much easier if they can drift off to sleep themself. Also when baby wakes at night try offering cold boiled water instead of bottle. This is what i did with my son and after a few nights of offering water he eventally stopped waking in the night. I guess he just learned he didn't need that feed. With getting a carseat i would just say dont get one that has the seat belt going through and underneath the car seat as i have one and they are so much harder to get in and out than the ones where the seat belt goes round the back. Also you will probably have to buy a locking clip to make it safe but check with plunket car seat places or the hospital for safety tips.

[Gemmagirl]

Ok,
Always take a clean shirt for yourself when going out with bub!! Too many times they have a sudden spew and you are left smelling like milky spew! EW!! Even if your bub isn't a spewy one, always use a burping cloth, as the time you don't you will get caught!!!

[Jo, Em and ?]

Laugh, have a sense of humor about everything! and don't be too protective. You can still be a loving caring protective parent and not be overbearing. Watch from a distance and intervene when needed. Most of all Laugh!

Don't stress over the little things, it'll all work out in the end, take it from a drought stricken farmer's woman, everything will be alright in the end.

[Bambina]

Things I wish I'd known/done

*took those plaster prints of baby's little hands and feet.
*bought the digital camera and printer sooner
*got the attachable wheels for the carseat
*got the cheaper, lighter stroller as the hydraulic lift in the boot doesn't work
*some babies tired signs are really subtle, have someone show you
*put baby to bed awake and fully burped
*burp baby halfway through each breast and again after
*don't start solids at 16weeks as that isn't actually 4 months old (got a royal scragging from Doc)
*worked out a cleaning roster with hubby/got a cleaner
*frozen more dinners
*told more people to get next size up clothes for bubs, socks not booties.
*had twins so I don't have to go through it all again!

[jacobs mummy]

one of the best tips i was given was that when bubs starts having a shower with you, wear a t-shirt until you get comfortable and confident in holding a slippery soapy baby, and it's also best if you have your partner or someone there who can take the baby and dry and change them when you are done. this tip also works well when starting swimming lessons with your bub, this gives them something to hold onto.

[angel 1]

Always give your toddler or preschooler a warning before it is time to leave somewhere or pack away etc...you will find them much more cooperative.

[Lani.E]

my daughter's four months old on the 24th and I feed her whenever she's hungry whether it be every two hours or four, I put her down in her cot (on her tummy) whenever she's tired and pick her up when she cries. I made a point not to play with her between 10pm and 8am (mostly because I'm too tired).
she has slept through the night (8-9 hours) since she was two months old and she has just started settling in for the night around 8pm. she is very happy and healthy and seems to be thriving.

this is what works for us. if and when I have more babies, I may have to do something different. use your instinct and do what feels right

[2Ratbags]

Best advice I ever received (as was from MIL - LOL) was to bath bub every nght before bedtime. I use this routine (which I am sure is a bible to most mothers aswell) dinner, play in highchair, bath, play, feed/bottle, bed. DD2 has slept through, 7pm - 7.30/8am since 4 months.
There are so many grat ideas already, oh where was this with DD1...... Mums always know best!