One in a week

The little walker will be one in a week
I will miss his baby giggles...
I will miss his smiles from the heart...
The love that he brought out in us...

because he is growing out of babyhood
and into toddlerhood...

I miss him crawling already
and if it was not for his sad cries wanting to be carried
I would go about my work...

Love - is the only feeling that appears
when I know that his needs are always greater than mine
The little toes and fingers when I bite
he giggles and laughs - my what a sight!

Is TV good for your toddler?

http://www.babycenter.com/0_tv-watching-guidelines-for-toddlers_11746.bc?scid=mbtw_post11m_1w:1164&pe=MlV5b1JmdXwyMDExMDYyNw..

At 15 months we decided no more TV for our daughter who is now 3 and a half. It was a tough decision because it meant we sacrificed our TV time too. We got a phone and internet connection but no cable TV. We decided to spend the savings on books and educational toys for her which is why we have too many toys at home.

My daughter loves to play games on sesamestreet.com and pbskids.com. Unlike casper the friendly ghost these are pretty productive tools that we can use for her. However I find myself having to fight her every time she needs to stop. We try to limit her computer usage to about 3 to 4 hours a week. Usually she would have to be good to earn her video or game time. Sometimes I am guilty of letting her play over time if I am held up with some work. However, I make it a point to reduce the next time and compensate with some story reading, hide and seek or just playing with her cookery set or doll house.

The boy so far shows no interest except for closing the laptop when I have to use it. So as annoying as that may be I am glad that he is still not a tv addict and hoping that I could implement the same rules for him.

Love works in strange ways....

I couldn't stop the tears rolling down my cheeks. At 11 months, Jessica leaves this world and although she is now in a better place she will truly be missed. I don't know her, her parents or her family but what I can imagine is the immense amount of love that a child brings out in us, that we otherwise would never have known.

After having diagnosed her with Spinal Musclar Atrophy type 1, from what I gathered the doctors said she will not make it to be a year old. Her mother was in the same baby centre birth board as I was, so our children are the same age. This is the only and strongest bond I share with her family. In her death, baby Jessica has reminded us that there is only one race - the human race! So yes, love does work in strange ways... This shows us how we are all connected by the human bond no matter where in the world we may be!

I was also informed of a girl who is suffering from Steven Johnsons Syndrom after a drug reaction. Her family is trying to collect money to put together a plan for her operation which may bring back some of her sight.

God knows best and we leave all to his divine wisdom. In the meantime let us not take all the little things that life has to offer us for granted. Let us be thankful for each and everyday for every little blessing, every little drop of rain and every time we smile that without even realising it!

Subhanallah! Alhamdulillah

May God give each and every one of us what is best for us!

breast feeder?

http://soundvision.com/info/parenting/parent.feeding.asp

Parenting user manual - where can I get one?

As I get some free time in my hands... here are my debates: Do I nap or Do I blog? 

It probably sounds very simple but to me I have to fight myself to a lose-lose situation no matter what I chose to do. The children are mostly nice but they both have their moments. Since they don't come with user manuals I have been reading up on parenting methods and to my surprise most of them are good techniques that really work. I also contribute to http://nextgenparenting.com/ as Fathima Sulaiman. I am also a member of a number of mum forums including babycentre and parenting.com. However when it comes down to parenting what works for you works for you! here are a few tips that work for me that you can try!

Try to make friends and family a part of your child's life: i try to go out of my way to arrange playgroups and the like to have the kids enjoy the company of others.

Frequently check in on your child: Ask them individually whether they are happy. If they are not, ask them then what would make them happy. Explain why or why not you can or cannot give them what they want.

Try to lead them into solving their own problems instead of solving them. avoid helicopter parenting and try to give them leads as to how they could solve their own problems. example: "try changing your shoes to the right feet" or "try pulling out your shoe tongue so it fits better"

And finally as always celebrate their achievements. Tell them when they did good and remind them of their past achievements. example: yesterday you did a great job cleaning up.

Baby Bath Review!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x61cevDBNOY&feature=relmfu

10 Tips for Raising Moral Children

http://moralsandethics.wordpress.com/2007/09/11/10-tips-for-raising-moral-children/

and more:

http://www.videojug.com/interview/how-to-say-no-to-your-childs-request-without-making-them-angry