Types Of Baby Strollers

As you know there is a wide variety of baby strollers available to choose from. Your choice of strollers will be affected by how many children you plan to use it for, how you are going to use the stroller and where, and finally your budget. All things aside your baby’s comfort and safety will also influence your choice. Let’s take a look at some of the types of strollers available to you.

The standard stroller will fit one child and there are many different features on standard strollers such as play trays, parent trays, fabrics, and handlebars. On many strollers handlebars are now height adjustable which is great back saver.

Double strollers have two seats. There is a variety of seating arrangements for double strollers. The traditional double seat is one behind the other – tandem style. Tandem seating has the first child with a good view and he one in the rear seat sees the back of the other’s head. A variant of the tandem seating is stadium seating. Think of bleachers where each seat is raised slightly above the one in front of it allowing those in the rear to see what’s going on. There is side by side seating as well as face to face seating.

Jogging strollers are very popular because they enable you to bring your child along on a run. The jogging stroller has a triangular wheel base with two large wheels in the rear and one wheel in the front. They have many attractive features. An added safety feature is a wrist strap on the handle bar. This is worn so that when you stop, the stroller doesn’t roll away from you. As always whenever you stop your stroller the break should always be applied. The wrist strap is added protection. Jogging strollers are available for multiple seating as well.

Triple strollers are terrific for triplets or three children. Seating arrangements can be side by side but most have tandem seating or stadium seating. When the stroller is full of kids and you are pushing it will help you achieve your goals of fitness.

Convertible multiple strollers are available where they can be made into double seater’s with additional seats and a transverse bar. You might want to check if this option is available for the particular stroller you are considering.

Umbrella strollers are very inexpensive. They are generally easier to fold and unfold. They are very lightweight and store easily in a car trunk. They are terrific for short trips to the Mall or short walks. They do not work well on all terrain. They do come in multiple seating as well. The only drawback I had with umbrella strollers is that if anything was hung on the handle it caused the carriage to tip backwards.

Light weight strollers are slightly heavier than the umbrella strollers and slightly less than the standard stroller. They typically fold in a single hand motion. They also resemble the standard type stroller. They also come in multiple seating.

Carriage Strollers are convertible strollers in that you can change them from a carriage (a bed on wheels) to a stroller. This is great for infants that are unable to sit up yet. The handle is reversible so you can turn it into a stroller which is great for children who are sitting up.

Bike strollers or trailers are installed by attaching it to the rear wheel. There are two seated models available. They can be converted from a trailer to a stroller with no tools. The restraint system is a five-point harness for each child.

Childhood Obesity On The Rise

Obesity in children has doubled for children between the ages of two and five since the 1970s. Alarming is an understatement; this is traumatic. Toddlers should not be overweight and according to an article I read today, nearly half of Americas children will be obese by the end of the decade. What could be the cause: accessibility to junk food and not enough exercise. But it’s not just America having this problem; every country in the world is having to deal with this epidemic.

If a child has two obese parents, chances are they will be obese due to heredity. Children watch and learn alot from their parents. If the parents do not eat balanced diets and/or get any exercise, the child may pick up those habits. We as parents need to set good eating and exercising examples for our children so they understand the importance of doing the right things for your body.

In today’s society, life has become much easier and as a result lazier. With TV, computers and video games, kids don’t spend as much time outside. Families don’t spend that much time at the dinner table together; the faster dinner gets on the table, the better. Home cooked family meals are quickly disappearing.

Another sobering fact about an obese child is all the health problems they will experience at a young age. Type 2 diabetes, liver diseases, heart disease, high blood pressure, and many more are supposed to be found in adults, not children. But there are more cases of these health problems showing up in children.

Parents need to pay attention to what their children are eating, not only at home, but also when they are away. We need to instill good eating habits early and set examples ourselves. Don’t buy foods with high fat content, sugar and artificial preservatives. It’s better to make cookies than to buy them from the store. Take time to make dinner, but don’t try to do it every night. Order out every once in a while.

We can change the future. Let’s help our children live long, healthy lives.

Living With Pets Keeping Your Baby Safe

So, up to this point, your dog or cat has been your baby, but now there’s a little human on the way. It is normal and, in fact, wise to be concerned about how the two are going to mix. The chances are very good that everything will work quite well and your pet and your child will be very close buddies, but there are some things you can do to be prepared. First some tips for dogs:

Teach your dog to stay out of the nursery

Start right away putting up a baby gate or keeping the door closed to help your dog learn to stay out of the baby’s room. Later on, you can allow the dog in the room, especially if you are in there, but it’s best to prepare him at first to stay away.

Introduce your dog to some other babies

If he’s never been around a baby, carefully introduce some into his life. He is much less likely to be anxious around your baby if he is introduced gradually.

Make sure he is well trained

A baby’s behavior is not predictable, so your dog has to be the grown up in this case. If your dog does not obey you, it’s time for some training before the baby arrives. If your dog is a male, and you haven’t had him neutered, this is a good time for that, too. It should make the dog calmer and more well mannered.

Then, there’s the cat – some of the same ideas work for cats, too, except that training them to stay out of a room is pretty difficult. They scale baby gates, and cribs, by the way with ease. So, in addition to a baby gate, it’s wise to purchase a net to go over the crib, to keep the cat out. Also, if your cat sleeps with you, don’t put the baby in your bed with the cat in the room.

For both types of pets, keep the food and water bowl away from the baby. Babies love to play in them, and this can not only make a mess, but can cause the animal to be even more jealous. Also, at some point, if your child can get to the pet food, he will try to eat it. I promise.

Your child and your pets should develop a good relationship with little trouble. Just be diligent for a while until everybody is comfortable, and you should continue to have a happy home.

Consider Foster Care

Foster care is an amazing thing to be apart of. If you are looking for a way to help someone and you have a love for children then you might want to consider foster care.

The benefits and blessings of foster care far outweigh the sacrifices. Be sure, however, that you are well aware of the sacrifices that investing in foster care will mean for you and your family. It will require time, money, energy, love, and commitment. And don’t be fooled – foster care will likely require much more than you could even calculate now.

Allow yourself to think about all of the great things that come from foster care. First and foremost, think about the lives of the children that are in need of loving and solid homes to spend time in. Can you imagine being a child without a safe place to call home? There is perhaps nothing greater than giving up part of your home and your energy to help a child or children who are in need. What a blessing for a child to be in foster care and placed in a home filled with fun and encouragement.

Participating in foster care can also be a huge blessing to you and your family. Taking in a child or children in need will fill your life with a great sense of purpose and love like you may have never experienced. What a special thing to make your life bigger than yourself by caring for a child. You and your family will learn and grow closer together because of foster care. While it is never easy to include someone new in your family, foster care can be a great way to strengthen relationships and learn to appreciate the blessings you have been given.

For couples who have ever considered adopting a child or children into their family, foster care can be a great trial run to see how your family will adjust the addition of a new member in a less permanent way. Consider trying foster care for a few months or a year as you try to decide about adoption. One of the hardest but best things about foster care is that it does not require a long term commitment. Many foster care parents enjoy it so much that they take in child after child into their family.

If you are interested in determining if you and your family would do well at foster care, take some time to research the options in your area. Explore the possibilities and see if foster care might be the perfect way to reach out to your community, help a needy child, and strengthen your own family all at once.

10 Time Tested Tips For Traveling With

Traveling with toddlers can be torture.

New sights and sounds can be overwhelming to a young child and vacation excitement can quickly turn into temper tantrums if you’re not prepared.

Here are 10 parent-practiced tips to help make traveling with toddlers fun.

1. Choose a family-friendly destination. Skip the crowded tourist destinations and opt instead for a locale that is accustomed to having kids around.

2. Safety first! Always make sure your child’s car seat is properly secured. Also, use a removable window shade to help block the sun.

3. Pack entertainment. “Best bets for entertaining your child in the car and hotel room include favorite books, games and toys,” says Nancy Wolpert of Nickelodeon Home Entertainment. For all-inclusive entertainment, she recommends two new DVDs that feature a collection of kids’ favorite TV shows. “The Nick Picks and Nick Jr. Favorites DVDs will keep them entertained for hours,” Wolpert promises.

4. Plan rest stops. If you’re driving, break up the monotony by stopping every couple of hours (or more frequently if necessary). Kids need to stretch out after being cooped up in a car for a while. Consider bringing along a ball to kick or throw around during these breaks.

5. Be flexible. Set realistic expectations and let your child soak up the experience at his or her own pace. You might want to limit your activities to one a day. Otherwise, you could wind up with an over-stimulated toddler.

6. Bring water and plenty of snacks. Fruit, granola bars, mini juice cartons and small boxes of cereal make for great, healthy snacks.

7. Bring a beloved item. A blankie or cuddly toy will help your toddler feel safe and secure. Be sure to have a replacement on hand, too. It will save you some heartache should the original get lost.

8. Start and end your day early. Kids are at their best in the morning, so plan accordingly.

9. Stick to your routine. Eating, napping and playing at the same time each day may be all your child needs to feel comfortable in a new environment.

10. Take lots of pictures. They’re only young once, so enjoy every moment! – NU