There are various factors that need to be taken into account when choosing footwear for a baby or a toddler and these should not be overlooked when a cute pair of shoes is spotted. For example, babies’ feet grow incredibly quickly in their first year, with some growing to half their full adult size. Therefore any footwear needs to have room for this rapid growth and must not restrict the feet from growing in any shape or form.

Flexibility is a very important factor that is closely related to the last point. With babies and toddlers moving their feet on a regular basis, there must be a degree of flexibility with the footwear which is why they tend to resemble socks in most cases. This makes it much easier to put on the shoes, which can be difficult with children and less flexible footwear. This also avoids any pain or discomfort a child may feel from the process of putting them on or taking them off.

The interior of a baby’s footwear should be very soft to protect their feet as they tend to be particularly delicate and have tender skin. This will also make them very comfortable, which is an important factor for all shoes and not just those for a young child. Padded cushioning should remove any discomfort and the young child should feel happy whilst wearing the footwear.

In terms of the exterior the soles should have sufficient grip. This is particularly important for when a toddler is taking his or her first steps to improve their confidence and to avoid any potential slips or falls. This is even more important for homes which have hardwood flooring instead of carpets due to the lack of grip provided by wooden flooring and the lack of cushioning to protect against a fall.

Another factor to consider is the pattern or image on the shoes. Interesting colours and designs should help to stimulate a child’s interest and awareness. In addition they should be more willing to wear them if they are colourful or have one of their favourite cartoon characters on the front.

One more factor to consider which concerns the parents more than the child is the method of washing that is needed. Care should be taken to observe the best way to wash them in order to prevent shrinkage or colour loss. This will be down to the materials used and some shoes may need to be hand washed in cold water.

Toddlers have an amazing ability to sink into the simple things of life and create worlds from their own imagination. At this magical age, virtually everything is brand new, and we can relax and know that our interaction with our young children, especially through simple, repetitive activities, is enhancing their development and love of learning. The key is to keep it simple and spend lots of time allowing them to explore at their own pace.

Here are some simple and inexpensive activities you can enjoy with your toddler:

Outdoor Activities for Toddlers

Toddlers love to be outside. Often, toddlers will want (and need) time to play freely, but here are some ideas for those times when your toddler wants to engage in play with you:

Blow bubbles. Toddlers love to chase and blow bubbles. They watch in awe as nothing at all turns into something and is then carried away by the breeze. Spillproof containers are perfect for toddlers, especially when they are off chasing their bubble creations. Toddlers love it when you blow bubbles, too. Try counting the bubbles or challenging your child to see how many she can catch.

Watch the clouds. Lie on your backs together and find shapes in the clouds.

Draw with sidewalk chalk. These thick chunks of chalk are perfect for little hands, and they are well suited to a toddler’s fine motor skills, too. Allow your child to create designs of his own creation. Or write your child’s name in block letters and invite him to color them in. You can also draw a wiggly line down the sidewalk for your toddler to walk along. Or make up a story as you walk along the sidewalk about a child who is out for an adventure in the world, and illustrate different parts of your story as you go.

Take a walk in the wide, wide world. A simple walk in the neighborhood will give your toddler an opportunity to become familiar with the world outside her home. As she follows the same route over and over, she will begin to form a concept of her neighborhood. In time, this will bring her comfort that comes from knowing she is “almost home.”

Toddlers also love to walk in the woods. All that nature has to offer, such as rocks, sticks, and leaves, are marvelous entities to be held and explored. If you take the time to allow a toddler to explore the woods, you are in for a treat yourself – as well as a lesson in patience. A toddler can watch a simple stream for what can seem like hours. While you walk, put a piece of transparent tape, sticky side out, loosely on your child’s wrist. When she finds small items that she’d like to document her journey, whether its flecks of mica, pretty leaves, or dried pine needles, she can press them on her Nature Bracelet. When she returns home, seal the goodies by placing another piece of tape on top.

Think like a kid. As you enjoy time with your toddler, try to imagine what things look like from his point of view. Toddlers take delight in the simplest things, especially if you do them again and again. For example, kids love to simply count their footsteps up to five or ten, and then start again. They love to say hello to the same dog (or the rosebush or the big rock or the open meadow) that you pass on each walk. They love to try to hop over cracks in the sidewalk. What did you love to do as a young child? If you can’t remember, ask your parents or other adults who spent time with you, and make a point to weave those simple activities into life with your own toddler.

Indoor Activities for Toddlers

Read. Reading opens a toddler’s imagination and fosters a love for books, which can propel him to success far into his school years. Read to your toddler whenever you get the chance. Take weekly trips to the library to pick out new books and audiobooks to enjoy. Introduce your child to the books you remember from your own early childhood. And make sure your child sees you enjoying a good book now and then, too.

Sing. Anytime a toddler can sing, concepts are likely to stick. Sing simple songs such as the alphabet song, or silly songs you make up about the life you live. Kids love having their own special songs, too. See if you can make up a song to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, which features your toddler’s name and some of the things you love most about him.

Car Games and Activities for Toddlers

Magnetic Trays. You can use an old metal tray or purchase a ready made magnetic tray at the toy store. With these trays, toddlers can play with alphabet and number magnets, as well as paper magnetic dolls. Another great way to use a magnetic tray is to print off pictures of family members and adhere them to magnets.

Travel Songs. Singing songs in the car is another great activity that passes the time. Again, repetition is the key. Sing the same song each time you and your toddler start off on a trip to the store, for example.

Story Starters. Start a story, and then ask your toddler or preschooler to fill in the blanks here and there. For example, you might start with, “Once upon a time there was a dog named: ____” (Ask the child for the dog’s name.). And the dog went to the ____.” This is great when you have a mix of ages, too. The older children can create a very silly tale, and your child can make it even sillier when it’s his turn.

Don’t be afraid to do the same thing twice. The key to educational games at this age is in repetition. Children’s brains develop connections by doing, seeing, and hearing something over and over again. That’s why children want to watch the same video, listen to the same song in the car, and go through the same bedtime routine each night.

As parents, we sometimes worry about whether our toddlers are getting enough attention, stimulation, and entertainment. Often, the games toddlers truly love are the most simple and the least expensive – especially when taken at a toddler’s natural pace and shared with someone they love.

Susie Cortright is the founder of Momscape.com and Susies-Coupons.com. Visit today for the latest Online Coupon Codes including coupons for discount toddler gear, including shoes, clothing, toys, and beds.

Susie Cortright is the founder of Momscape.com and Susies-Coupons.com. Visit today for the latest Online Coupon Codes including coupons for discount toddler gear, including shoes, clothing, toys, and beds.

It is always important to have good nutrition while you are pregnant and make sure you take your prenatal vitamins. Some birth defects may be prevented if pregnant mothers follow these rules. Spina bifida is a birth defect that may be prevented if you have enough folic acid in your diet. About one in every 2000 babies have spina bifida. Spina bifida is a birth defect that affects the bones of the spine. The bones do not form properly around the spinal cord. The name spina bifida literally mean “split” or “open” spine in Latin.

Spina bifida occurs during the first month of pregnancy. Sometimes before the mother even knows she is pregnant. This is why it is important to try to be in good health and eating right when you plan to become pregnant. Spina bifida happens when the two sides of the embryo’s spine do not completely fuse together. There are some cases where the spinal cord may protrude through the opening that is not fused.

Researchers still don’t know exactly what causes spina bifida. There is evidence that suggests that genes may be involved, but in most cases there is no connection. If a woman has a high fever during pregnancy, there is an increased risk of it. Folic acid has been linked to reducing the risk of spina bifida. Taking certain drugs to control epilepsy have also been linked to a higher risk of spina bifida. It is most common for babies whose mothers are of British ancestry. A woman who already has one child with spina bifida will more likely have another one with it.

There are two types of spina bifida. Spina bifida occulta and spina bifida manifesta. Spina bifida occulta is the mildest form. It is also the most common. The defect is hidden under the skin and usually does not cause any problems. There is an estimate of 10 – 20% of the general population that have this form of spina bifida and do not even know it. In these cases there are a few tell tale signs that someone may have spina bifida. These people may have a birthmark, depression, dimple or a hairy patch on the skin over where the vertebrae are affected.

Spina bifida manifesta is a more severe form and a more rare form. It usually is associated with problems walking, bladder problems and coordination. This type of spina bifida can be separated into two classes, meningocele and myelomeningocele. In meningocele the fluid leaks out of the baby’s spinal cord. This causes a swollen area of the spine. Myelomeningocele is when some of the spinal nerves push out of the spinal canal against the underside of the skin. The nerves are usually damaged. In the very worst cases the skin is split open as well and the nerves are exposed to the outside. Most babies who are born with this kind of spina bifida will have hydrocephalus, which is accumulation of fluid in and around the brain.

Toddlers need discipline as it teaches responsibility, acceptable behavior and self control. Toddler discipline is nothing but teaching, guiding and nurturing your toddler. It takes patience and commitment to incorporate toddler discipline. But, it helps to put rules and limits early in toddler’s lives for their guidance.

No spanking! There are many ways of discipline, including but not limited to, spanking. Spanking is considered as hitting to impose pain in order to enforce toddler discipline. You should realize that spanking causes your toddler to fear and stop trusting you.

Spanking also builds anger, resentment and shame in your toddler and it can harm your relationship. Toddler’s self esteem and ability to have healthy relationships with others are affected by bad feelings which are developed by spanking.

Physical punishment is not good! Physical punishment makes your toddler grow resentful and feel there is something wrong with them to be treated so badly. If toddlers start to think that they are bad, they will act badly.

If you are using spanking for toddler discipline, you are setting example of using violence to solve problems. Toddlers imitate their parents’ behavior and follow violent acts to settle conflicts with other toddlers.

Rewards and punishments are good in toddler discipline as long as the parents are watching. But, you should teach to develop his self motivation. Some parents use spanking because they think that their toddlers will be highly obedient if they use physical punishment.

If you concentrate on obedience, your toddler becomes passive or more aggressive. Physical punishment affects the relationship between you and your toddler because no one feels loving towards someone who intentionally hurts them.

Love and affection are important! Strong bond can be formed by the cooperative behavior based on love, affection, kindness and cooperation. If you show anger and punish your toddler, it is stored inside and comes out later in life.

Punishment produces good behavior in toddler in early years but later it creates trouble when toddler reaches adulthood. If you follow physical punishment to correct your toddler discipline, toddler is deprived of the best opportunities to learn creative problem solving and you are deprived of the best opportunities for teaching the toddler strong moral values.

Become a role model! Loving support is the only way to make your toddler learn moral behavior based on strong inner values. You are the role model to your toddler. You have to explain and show your toddler how to solve the problems in a peaceful way. If you are calm and cool, your toddler learns the same thing from you.

You have to make routines and stick to them for proper toddler discipline. Encourage your toddler to share and discuss problems with you. Praise your toddler when rules are obeyed. Remain patient when rules are broken.

Time and patience pays! Time and patience are required in toddler discipline, but it can make parenting easier and more rewarding. You should tell your toddler that you love him even if he misbehaves. This helps your relationship with your toddler to grow stronger and your toddler learns important skills to help guide them through life. Gentle toddler discipline will pay off in the end. Visit Parents Zone

Neelima Reddy, author of this article writes for TheParentsZone.com. The Parents blog publishes new information on Parenting Skills like Single Parenting, Working Moms, Working Dads, Stay at home Parents, Parental Relationships, Family Issues, Potty Training and many more… Visit http://www.theparentszone.com

There are a number of health problems that can be caused by the environment. The most preventable is lead poisoning. However, still almost one million children in the United States have been tested and shown elevated levels of lead in their blood. Any child can be in danger from lead poisoning but despite what some people think, your child cannot be harmed by lead in pencils. There is no actual lead in pencils or the paint on the pencils, but there are other ways that your child can come into contact with lead.

Children can get lead dust from old paint on their hands or toys and then put their hands into their mouth. They can breathe in the lead dust as well. Sometimes those mud pies may contain lead from old paint. Lead can also enter the body if the child drinks water from pipes lined with lead or soldered with lead.

When the lead enters the body it travels through the bloodstream and it eventually gets stored in the bones where it can remain for their lifetime. If there are very high levels of lead in the body it can cause long term problems such as kidney problems, hearing loss, growth problems, anemia, developmental delays and seizures. Most of the children who have high levels of lead in their system do not show any symptoms until they are of school age. Unfortunately at this point they are already showing learning and behavioral problems.

Parents can reduce the risks of lead poisoning by making sure the child eats well balanced meals. Parents who give their child nutritious, low-fat foods that are high in calcium and iron, like meat, beans and spinach and low-fat dairy products, help reduce the amount of lead being absorbed in the body. There are other things parents can do to ensure their child is not in danger from lead poisoning.

If you have lead pipes, make sure you run the water for two minutes in the morning and do not use the hot tap water for drinking, cooking or mixing formula. If the parents have hobbies that involve lead such as paints, solder, fishing weights, buck shots or stained glass, a change of clothes and shoes is needed before entering your home. Keep clothes at work or wash them immediately. Same goes for parents who work at places that have high lead levels like battery manufacturers and smelting companies.

Always encourage your children to wash their hands frequently. This is a good practice for many reasons!

If your home was built before 1950, ask your doctor to test your child for lead. If your home was built before 1978 ask your health department about safe ways to remodel your house. The only way to know for sure if your child has been exposed to any lead is to have your doctor test your child’s blood. Screening for lead can be done by using a small amount of blood from a finger tip, or a larger amount of blood from a vein. These tests will measure the amount of lead found in their blood.

Don’t you wish there was a miracle elixir to give your toddler when they are having a tantrum? While it isn’t possible to make tantrums disappear altogether, there are ways to moderate or minimize them.

First of all stay calm. You will be adding fuel to the fire if you lose your cool. A parental blow up can also terrify your child. Your child will already be off balance with their tantrum, they will be in balance with your calming influence and reassurance and love. This calm approach will not work immediately and will not be easy to pull off but you will eventually see that your efforts are being mirrored in your child’s increasing self control.

Speak softly. Try to fight the temptation to scream over your child. It will only encourage them to scream louder as they try to recapture the center stage. A gentle and soft tone of your voice will show that you are in control and it will help your child to regain composure. Also being unable to hear what you are saying, they may quiet down out of curiosity about what you are saying to them.

Never resort to physical punishment. This is a bad idea at any time. You would be punishing the child for something that they cannot control and because you too could lose control and cause serious injury. Don’t try to reason with your child during a tantrum. Your out of control toddler is well beyond reason. Logic will be lost on them, so save the rational explanation for rational times.

Try to protect your toddler while they are having a tantrum. A toddler who is kicking and screaming will not be aware of their surroundings and could hurt themselves. Make sure there are no objects in the way that could possible injure your child. Also make sure that will not be any damage to the store or their property.

Attempt to express some empathy. Not sympathy. Say something like, “I know it is hard not to get something you want, I too get upset sometimes when I can’t get what I want”. This is empathy. Saying you’re sorry is sympathy, don’t go there, that could make it worse.

Holding your child tight, don’t squeeze too hard, but a firm hold may help your child to hold it together, a firm hold can also dissolve anger in them and in you and often will turn into a hug when the tantrum passes.

One of the best methods to help control a tantrum is to ignore it. They may get it out of their system faster. This approach is especially effective if the toddler’s demands are outrageous and you suspect that they know that as well as you do. Go about your business and make it obvious that you are not paying any attention. When you begin to systematically ignore their tantrums, they may increase for a while and then eventually your toddler will discover that it is not worth getting all worked up when there is no audience and then the tantrums should become less frequent.