 Caring
for your child is the most important work you will do as a parent.
You can take good care of your child by following a few simple rules.
Be sure your child:
Eats nutritious foods
Is
clean and has good medical care
Is safe
Gets the sleep he or she needs
Gets plenty of the right kind of attention
Feeding
your baby
Before
birth, your baby will need a healthy diet. Eat foods with a lot
of vitamins, and ask your doctor to recommend a good diet during
pregnancy.
After
birth, your baby will depend on breast milk or formula for the first
few months. He or she will be growing quickly, so feed the baby
whenever he or she is hungry. Your doctor will tell you when to
introduce solid foods, usually when your baby is a few months old.
Sometime around the first birthday, babies will want to begin feeding
themselves, even though they may lack the coordination. Be prepared
for messy mealtimes!
Do
your best to make mealtime a fun, learning experience. Your baby
will feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment from learning this
new skill. Regular meals help you to be sure your baby is getting
the nutrition he or she needs when it is needed.
Remember:
babies probably don't need to eat a lot at one time. Don't force
a baby to eat, or mealtime will be an occasion for tears and unhappiness.
Most importantly, try to make meals pleasant and relaxing.
Keeping
your child clean and healthy
Part
of caring for your child is being sure he or she is clean and receives
necessary medical care. This care begins before your baby is born.
If you have regular prenatal doctor visits and avoid cigarettes,
alcohol, and other drugs, you will increase your child's chances
for good health.
Once
babies are born, they need to see the doctor for regular well-child
visits. During these visits, the doctor monitors their development,
measures growth and weight gain, and will immunize them against
various diseases. In spite of these well-child visits, they will
probably have minor illnesses during childhood. Call your doctor
whenever you have a concern about the health of your child.
When
children are about two years old, regular dental visits should begin.
Keeping your child clean will help keep him or her healthy. Set
up a daily routine for bathing, tooth brushing, and hair combing.
Teach your child to wash his or her hands before meals.
 Your
child's safety
When
your baby is small, never let him or her out of your sight unless
they are in a crib or another equally safe place. If the phone rings,
for instance, leave it unanswered rather than leave your baby unattended.
Toddlers
are curious and love to explore, but they don't know when they're
getting into dangerous situations. It's up to you to keep your little
one safe. As soon as your baby starts to crawl, childproof your
home. Go through your house on your hands and knees to see it from
your toddler's perspective. If you find something dangerous, remove
it!
Your
toddler will usually listen when you say "no" but may
soon forget what you said. Toddlers don't necessarily intend to
be disobedient they just aren't able to remember instructions yet.
Helping
your child develop good sleep habits
Healthy,
happy children need regular sleep. Most infants sleep a lot. Your
baby may sleep whenever he or she is not eating. On the other hand,
if your baby is colicky, he or she may be awake and cry a lot. Holding
colicky babies helps relax them.
As
your baby grows older he or she will sleep less and less and soon
their routine will include regular time awake, combined with naps.
Between the ages of three and five your child will probably no longer
need naps.
Children
feel best if they have a regular bedtime. Having a bedtime routine
helps a child settle down and get ready to sleep. This routine may
consist of a bath, brushing teeth, a story, and tucking into bed.
Most children under the age of 12 need 10-12 hours of sleep to feel
their best.
Paying
attention to your child
Your
attention is important to your child. Talk to your baby and play
with him or her. As your child grows older, he or she may act as
if they know more than you do and may seem to ignore your opinions.
Remember:
you are the biggest influence on your children's lives. Even if
they behave as if your opinions don't matter, they really do hear
you. Be sure to give them positive attention. Remember to praise
their efforts and recognize the skills they are developing.
When
you take good care of your child, you show them that you love and
respect them. Your love and respect are the basis for the self-esteem
your child needs to become a happy, healthy adult.
Source:
Information courtesy of Prevent Child Abuse America http://www.preventchildabuse.org/
Reprinted with Permission © 2000 Prevent Child Abuse America
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